Closed captions are available on SBS On Demand for all programs and movies that aired with captions on SBS main channel that are then made available as catch up. Programs available as catch up that originally aired on one of our secondary channels such as SBS VICELAND, NITV or SBS Food are not subject to the same regulation and may not have closed captions available.
When a program has initially aired live, (eg in the case of news or sports programs), it may take up to 24 hours for closed captions to become available.
Closed captions are currently available on the website, iOS mobile, tvOS (Apple TV), Android mobile, Android TV, Fire TV, Hubbl, Fetch, Foxtel and Connected TV apps.
Closed captions for SBS Channel live streams on SBS On Demand are available on the below devices:
- Website
- Hisense 2021 and later
- Samsung 2017 and later
- Foxtel iQ4, and iQ5 set top boxes
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Hubbl (Foxtel Set Top Box).
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iOS mobile/tablet
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tvOS (Apple TV) set top boxes
Our dedicated Access Services unit always looks for ways to caption additional programming wherever possible, and SBS is working to introduce closed captions for more programs in the future.
SBS is very aware that many of our viewers rely on captions in order to enjoy our programming, however with regard to captioning, we are subject to regulation and we do operate under some budgetary constraints.
Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, which applies to all free to air channels, all programming on a network’s main channel, must be captioned between the hours of 6am and midnight. We are also required to ensure that any content that aired with captions on our main channel retains those captions when shown on a secondary channel. In addition, all news programming on a main channel, no matter what time it airs, must be captioned. SBS always fulfils these obligations.
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The ACMA does not regulate captions on catch up/streaming services provided by free to air channels, ie captions are not obligatory or regulated on these services. SBS is, however, very aware of how important captions are to many of our viewers, so we ensure that all programs and movies that aired with captions on SBS main channel are also made available with captions on our catch up service. We also listen, and want to respond to, audience feedback wherever we can, and as budgets allow, to caption other programmes that appear on SBS On Demand only. All this means that there are many programs available to watch with closed captions on SBS On Demand, and these programs will have a ‘CC’ icon within the program page. (Please also see the article: ‘Are closed captions available on SBS On Demand?’)