Americans prefer subtitles to dubbing for foreign-language content

Americans are more likely to prefer watching foreign-language content using subtitles compared to dubbing, according to a new survey from Morning Consult.

Why it matters: The growth of the international content market has made dubbing and subtitling a bigger emphasis for distributors.

• Last year, Netflix dubbed more than five million minutes of programming and subtitled seven million, the company told the Los Angeles Times.
• Dubbing in particular is becoming more prevalent. Netflix dubbed 120% more content in 2021 vs 2020.

By the numbers: Along with the U.S., other English-dominant countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia lean toward subtitles.

• European countries seem to prefer dubbing over subtitles, with an overwhelming 76% of Germans choosing that route.
• On the other side, South Korea and Chinese citizens veer heavily toward subtitles.