BT Sport teams with Red Bee Media to increase subtitled content

BT Sport worked with long-time partner, Red Bee to make the July 2021 FA Disability Cup the most accessible broadcast to date

BT Sport is making its programming more accessible with additional subtitling services which are to be provided by Red Bee Media.

Red Bee Media’s automated subtitling service, Automatic Real-time Captioning (ARC), will allow BT Sport to increase the amount of subtitled sports content that it provides viewers by a further 200 extra hours per month.

BT Sport’s use of ARC is the first time a major UK broadcaster has deployed the automated service. From early September 2022, ARC will support a wide range of live sports coverage alongside Red Bee Media’s existing human subtitling service.

Jamie Hindhaugh, head of BT Sport, said: “We are working hard to make our programming as accessible as possible; viewers can expect to see more developments this season. Our use of ARC builds on our landmark broadcasts of The FA Disability Cup over the last two years, which at the time were the most accessible live broadcasts of football matches to date in the UK.”

Tom Wootton, head of product at Red Bee Access, added: “Providing equal access to content for all viewers is vital for successful and progressive brands. BT Sport has been at the forefront of providing accessible content for several years with Red Bee Media, so we’re delighted to strengthen that partnership with the broadcaster once again as it expands its offering. At Red Bee Media, we pride ourselves on our innovation and global team of experts, who bring unrivalled resilience, reliability and industry-leading quality.”

Red Bee Media’s ARC is a highly accurate automatic live subtitling system that enables broadcasters to efficiently increase the amount of subtitled programming they bring to viewers. Offering best in class accuracy to deliver cost efficient accessibility while ensuring regulatory compliance so the widest possible audiences can enjoy live content.