New Roy Morgan research shows captions have moved from accessibility feature to viewing default for many Australians.

Across a nationally representative sample of 14,969 people aged 14+ surveyed between April and June 2025, 43% said they prefer to watch films, videos and TV with subtitles or captions on.

Among younger viewers, that preference is a majority view, 54% of under-25s and 58% of 25-34s opt in, compared with 48% of 35-49s and only around three in ten among those 50+ (28% of 50-64s, 30% of 65+).

Language and cultural diversity amplify the trend. People who speak a language other than English at home report markedly higher use of captions, 70% for Mandarin speakers, 65% Arabic, 64% Cantonese, 63% Vietnamese and 62% Hindi.

One in eight Australians (13%) now prefer news or entert

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