*ACTION SCENE* *dialogue scene* *ACTION SCENE*

Half of all Americans now watch TV with the subtitles or closed captioning turned on, according to a new survey from e-learning platform Preply.

🤔 A breakdown by generation…

• Gen Z: 72%
• Millennials: 53%
• Gen X: 38%
• Boomers: 35%

📖📺 Driving the numbers: The most common reasons why Americans use subtitles are muddled audio (72%) and hard-to-understand accents (61%). It also appears the rise of streaming has coincided with an increase in subtitles – 62% of Americans say they use subtitles more on streaming services than regular TV.

• When it comes to ‘sub vs. dub,’ nearly ¾ of Americans (74%) said they prefer to use subtitles when watching a foreign-language show – like Squid Game – as opposed to English-language dubbing.
• 76% of Gen Z and millennials watch foreign language TV shows or films, compared to 56% for Gen X and baby boomers, per separate data from audience research company GWI.

👀 Looking ahead… “If entertainment trends of dim lighting, loud background music, and muddled audio continue, it’s likely that the use of subtitles will only increase in popularity,” per Preply.

+By order of the Peaky Blinders: The UK gangster series is the least understandable English-speaking TV show for Americans, according to the study.