Latest news with #XR
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Advertising's Trillion-Dollar Accessibility Gap: Only 1 in 10 TV Ads Use Accessibility Features, New XR Report Finds
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- XR, the global leader in creative operations, today released the 2025 Global Accessibility Maturity Index & Trends Report, which reveals that just 10% of global TV ads include accessibility features such as closed captions or audio descriptions. XR's data shows that most TV ads remain inaccessible, which indicates brands are losing reach and excluding audiences with disabilities, representing $8 trillion in spending power. Beyond audiences with disabilities, watching TV with captioning on is becoming a mainstream trend—recent studies show that over 50% of adults, and more than 75% of millennials and Gen Z, regularly have closed captioning enabled, even when content is in their native language. Research indicates that adding captions improves ad performance, contributing to an 8% lift in recall and an 18% increase in brand linkage. Now in its second year, the global report evaluates market maturity of accessible TV advertising across three core dimensions—brand adoption, broadcaster enablement and market-level enablers such as regulation and policy guidance. 'At P&G, we know that superior reach and communication lead to a superior shopping and product usage experience. That is why, together with the industry, we work with partners like XR who champion accessibility standards and help expand reach. We're working to make sure everyone can access our ads, so we can better reach all our consumers,' said Paul Gallagher, Global Brand Accessibility Leader, Procter & Gamble. Key findings from the 2025 report include: Accessible advertising can expand reach: Only 9% of TV ads in 2024 included closed captions, and just 1% included audio description — despite over 1.3 billion people globally living with a disability and a significant portion of viewers often watching with captions. Brand adoption lags behind broadcaster readiness: While broadcaster readiness ranges from 30–100%, brand adoption of accessibility features still lags below 30% in most markets—revealing a clear gap between platform capability and brand usage. CTV ads are still far behind: Adoption of accessibility features on connected TV remains negligible, with less than 1% of streaming ads including captions or audio description. Audio description is still in its infancy: Only 4 markets featured in the report saw audio description adoption rise above 1% in 2024. Accessibility maturity remains low in most markets: The global average Accessibility Maturity Index across 15 markets featured in the report is 2.3, placing most countries in the 'Emerging' or 'Developing' stage. XR's analysis includes 650,000 creative video assets and nearly 12 million ad deliveries across over 100 countries, providing a comprehensive assessment of the state of accessibility in TV advertising. 'Making ads more accessible isn't just the right thing to do, it's a smart business decision. Brand leaders know that if your content can't be seen, heard or navigated, you're shutting out entire market segments,' said Donna Bungard, CPWA, Director, Accessibility, Indeed. 'Inclusive design expands your reach, plain and simple. And what's exciting is that features like captions, often built with accessibility in mind, are resonating far beyond their original intent. From folks watching in busy waiting rooms or noisy restaurants to younger audiences who default to captions on small screens, accessibility is good for everyone.' 'Our report reveals a significant gap between viewer preferences and execution—but the brands, broadcasters and publishers that close it will gain an edge in reach, loyalty and performance across every channel, from linear to CTV,' said John Batter, CEO at XR. 'Millions of impressions are lost when people can't understand video content. Accessible advertising ensures every impression can connect, whether audiences have disabilities, are watching in public or simply prefer to keep captioning turned on." XR has enabled closed captioning and audio description for hundreds of thousands of creative video assets, helping advertisers embed accessibility features across campaigns running on linear and streaming platforms. The full 2025 Global Accessibility Maturity Index & Trends Report is available here. About XR XR is the global leader in creative operations, giving brands, agencies, studios and publishers complete control of the creative lifecycle. Its AI-powered platform centralizes creative management and streamlines workflows—connecting assets, rights data, omnichannel ad distribution, intelligence and production payments into a single solution that drives growth, boosts efficiency and maximizes creative investments. Thousands of customers trust XR to manage and deliver content flawlessly to more than 50,000 media endpoints in 140 countries, and to oversee more than $1.5 billion in annual production payments to talent, crew and vendors. XR is headquartered in North America, with offices in Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Advertising's Trillion-Dollar Accessibility Gap: Only 1 in 10 TV Ads Use Accessibility Features, New XR Report Finds
A majority of viewers now watch TV with captions turned on—yet inaccessible ads cost brands millions of lost impressions, impacting reach and consumer spending NEW YORK, June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XR, the global leader in creative operations, today released the 2025 Global Accessibility Maturity Index & Trends Report, which reveals that just 10% of global TV ads include accessibility features such as closed captions or audio descriptions. XR's data shows that most TV ads remain inaccessible, which indicates brands are losing reach and excluding audiences with disabilities, representing $8 trillion in spending power. Beyond audiences with disabilities, watching TV with captioning on is becoming a mainstream trend—recent studies show that over 50% of adults, and more than 75% of millennials and Gen Z, regularly have closed captioning enabled, even when content is in their native language. Research indicates that adding captions improves ad performance, contributing to an 8% lift in recall and an 18% increase in brand linkage. Now in its second year, the global report evaluates market maturity of accessible TV advertising across three core dimensions—brand adoption, broadcaster enablement and market-level enablers such as regulation and policy guidance. "At P&G, we know that superior reach and communication lead to a superior shopping and product usage experience. That is why, together with the industry, we work with partners like XR who champion accessibility standards and help expand reach. We're working to make sure everyone can access our ads, so we can better reach all our consumers," said Paul Gallagher, Global Brand Accessibility Leader, Procter & Gamble. Key findings from the 2025 report include: Accessible advertising can expand reach: Only 9% of TV ads in 2024 included closed captions, and just 1% included audio description — despite over 1.3 billion people globally living with a disability and a significant portion of viewers often watching with captions. Brand adoption lags behind broadcaster readiness: While broadcaster readiness ranges from 30–100%, brand adoption of accessibility features still lags below 30% in most markets—revealing a clear gap between platform capability and brand usage. CTV ads are still far behind: Adoption of accessibility features on connected TV remains negligible, with less than 1% of streaming ads including captions or audio description. Audio description is still in its infancy: Only 4 markets featured in the report saw audio description adoption rise above 1% in 2024. Accessibility maturity remains low in most markets: The global average Accessibility Maturity Index across 15 markets featured in the report is 2.3, placing most countries in the "Emerging" or "Developing" stage. XR's analysis includes 650,000 creative video assets and nearly 12 million ad deliveries across over 100 countries, providing a comprehensive assessment of the state of accessibility in TV advertising. "Making ads more accessible isn't just the right thing to do, it's a smart business decision. Brand leaders know that if your content can't be seen, heard or navigated, you're shutting out entire market segments," said Donna Bungard, CPWA, Director, Accessibility, Indeed. "Inclusive design expands your reach, plain and simple. And what's exciting is that features like captions, often built with accessibility in mind, are resonating far beyond their original intent. From folks watching in busy waiting rooms or noisy restaurants to younger audiences who default to captions on small screens, accessibility is good for everyone." "Our report reveals a significant gap between viewer preferences and execution—but the brands, broadcasters and publishers that close it will gain an edge in reach, loyalty and performance across every channel, from linear to CTV," said John Batter, CEO at XR. "Millions of impressions are lost when people can't understand video content. Accessible advertising ensures every impression can connect, whether audiences have disabilities, are watching in public or simply prefer to keep captioning turned on." XR has enabled closed captioning and audio description for hundreds of thousands of creative video assets, helping advertisers embed accessibility features across campaigns running on linear and streaming platforms. The full 2025 Global Accessibility Maturity Index & Trends Report is available here. About XR XR is the global leader in creative operations, giving brands, agencies, studios and publishers complete control of the creative lifecycle. Its AI-powered platform centralizes creative management and streamlines workflows—connecting assets, rights data, omnichannel ad distribution, intelligence and production payments into a single solution that drives growth, boosts efficiency and maximizes creative investments. Thousands of customers trust XR to manage and deliver content flawlessly to more than 50,000 media endpoints in 140 countries, and to oversee more than $1.5 billion in annual production payments to talent, crew and vendors. XR is headquartered in North America, with offices in Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Alexis Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business Standard
Sony launches Bravia 8 II QD-OLED series TVs in India at Rs 246,990 onwards
Sony's Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TVs with AI-powered XR processor, Dolby Vision and Atmos, are offered in 65-inch and 55-inch display options Sweta Kumari New Delhi Sony has expanded its Bravia TV lineup in India with the launch of the Bravia 8 II QD-OLED series, powered by the XR processor with AI capabilities. The company said the processor's XR Contrast Booster enhances brightness and colour depth, delivering lifelike visuals and immersive audio for a cinematic viewing experience. The Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TVs are available in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes and support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED series: Price and availability K-65XR80M2 (65-inch) – Rs 341,990 K-55XR80M2 (55-inch) – Rs 246,990 Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED series: Features and specifications Sony said the Bravia 8 II series combines QD-OLED technology with its XR AI processor to offer vivid colours, precise shadow details, and dynamic contrast. The XR processor includes an AI scene recognition system that analyses and optimises visuals in real time for more realistic imagery. The series supports 4K upscaling, enhancing lower-resolution content to near-4K quality. It also supports 4K HDR, IMAX enhanced content, and multiple calibrated viewing modes, including: Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode Sony Pictures Core Calibrated Mode Prime Video Calibrated Mode (a new addition) Studio Calibrated Mode for creator-intended visual reproduction In the audio department, the TVs feature acoustic surface audio+ technology, where actuators behind the screen vibrate to turn the display itself into a speaker. This design, paired with subwoofers, enhances the immersive experience with improved bass and spatial sound. Sony has also optimised the Bravia 8 II series for gaming. The TVs support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)—features that enhance gaming when used with the PlayStation 5. Gamers can quickly adjust settings like VRR and Motion Blur Reduction for a personalised experience.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Sony launches Bravia 8 II series premium smart televisions in India
Sony on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) launched the Bravia 8 II series premium smart televisions in India featuring QD-QLED technology. The new Bravia 8 II QD-QLED smart TVs run on Sony's XR processor and come with Acoustic Surface Audio+, Studio Calibrated Mode and Dolby Vision Atmos. The new Sony Bravia 8 II series comes in 65 and 55 screen sizes. It is IMAX enhanced and supports both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. With the Acoustic Surface Audio+, the entire screen into a speaker. It uses actuators behind the screen to create vibrations, which in turn generate sound, further enhanced by cinematic bass from subwoofers. The Bravia 8 II series also features Sony Pictures Core, a library of Sony Pictures movies. The platform also includes 4K HDR and IMAX enhanced movies. (For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today's Cache) Sony has optimised the Bravia 8 II series for gaming and PlayStation 5. It features Auto HDR Tone Mapping, which automatically adjusts HDR settings. The series offers 4K/120fps with variable refresh rate (VRR), and auto low latency mode (ALLM). It automatically switches into Game Mode with PS5 to minimise lag, claims Sony. Sony's Bravia 8 II series starts at ₹2,46,990 (55 inch) and ₹3,41,990 (65 inch). It is available across Sony retail stores, e-commerce portals and major electronic stores across India.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Top Takeaways From Augmented World Expo 2025
Advancements in AR, VR and XR technologies are driving demand for new devices and software. The premiere show on VR, XR and AR occurred from Jun 10-12, 2025, in Long Beach, CA. Over 5,000 people attended the 16th edition of this conference to get updates on what was new and hot in augmented reality. One major shift for the show is how it has evolved its focus. In the last two years, the term "spatial" was highly promoted to define the show. Spatial was to embody the world of all things augmented. While the term spatial is still essential in the show promotions, the show this year seemed to embrace the term XR as the more accurate way to describe the fact that this show has fully embraced a VR, XR, (extended reality,) MR (mixed reality) and AR (augmented reality) world. Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, Lenovo, Google, Xreal, Snap and Snap Spectacles, Unity, Pico, and over 200 others representing new XR hardware, software, and dedicated XR service providers had booths at the show. The show featured three days of conference sessions exploring every aspect of XR. More than 450 speakers took the stage, representing leading tech companies, Fortune 500 firms, and innovative startups. There were also over 250 sponsors and exhibitors. Thousands of attendees—including creators, developers, industry executives, founders, entertainers, investors, top media, and more—participated both in person and virtually. Topics ranged from enterprise case studies, the latest developer and creator tools, sales and marketing strategies, branded experiences, AR Cloud, WebXR, 5G, AI, Web3, haptics, privacy, and ethics to entertainment, education, and beyond. One standout observation: the quality of speakers at this event was truly exceptional. I attended one session on case studies for XR Training. The speakers were leaders of XR Training programs at Duke Energy and Volvo. Many sessions had speakers discussing the real-world usage of XR in their businesses today. One significant takeaway from this year's show was the role AI is playing in XR. The underlying theme of this year's event focused on marrying AI+XR into all of the sessions and exhibitions. There is a good reason for this, as AI has become a key factor in XR applications and services. In the past, most XR content was created by developers and special service providers using their code. But this year, these same people highlighted how AI is now empowering them to make more powerful XR solutions and speeding up the process of delivering creative programs and services for their customers. Another surprising part of the show was that many sessions stressed the importance of XR's human impact. Over the years, most of the talk at tech shows has focused on technology with little thought about how it affects people. However, Jason McGuigan of Lenovo said in his main stage presentation that we as an industry have to be more aware of how XR can and will augment the human experience. He pointed out that today, people see, feel, and taste their world with their five senses. But XR will add dimensions to that experience by giving them new information and experiences that augment their current world. He stated that the highly negative concept of a cyborg is really defined as technology enhancing a person's real world. Another major takeaway from this year's show was the strong focus on smart glasses. With the event's pivot to XR, smart glasses have emerged as a central theme and will likely continue to shape the show in the near future. While the XR market was previously dominated by VR, there is now a clear surge in interest in smart glasses. This was evident at AWE, where at least 20 vendors showcased new smart glasses and dozens of sessions were dedicated to smart glass technology. I was privileged to moderate a main stage panel on smart glasses and their future. I was joined by Ralph Jodice, GM of North America, Head of Partnerships & Publicity at Xreal, Kelly Ingham, VP AR Devices at Meta and Jason McGuigan, Head of Commercial VR, at Lenovo. Having these top executives on the panel allowed us to explore where smart glasses are today and where they will be in the next two years. These folks are authorities on this subject and play significant roles in their company's XR strategy and planning. All three agreed that in the next two years, we will see more exploration of new types of smart glasses with new styles and exciting features. These panelists explored the current types of smart glasses that have driven demand today. Meta has led the consumer smart glass revolution with its Ray-ban Meta Wayfarer glasses, which have sold over two million units. These represent AI smart glasses as Meta and others in this space have added AI audio feedback when using these glasses. The panel agreed that AI smart glasses will likely drive the strongest demand for these types of glasses in the next two years. The second category of smart glasses that is developing is one like Xreal's on the market. These use "birdbath lenses" and are optimized to deliver large-screen viewing experiences. Ralph Jodice explained that the newest Xreal Pro 2 now provides a 70-degree field of view experience and, when tethered to a device like a PC, smartphone, or mobile gaming device, allows you to view that content on what appears to be 100-200 inch screen through the glasses. They are optimized for watching movies, playing games, and using them in work environments. These glasses are shipping now. Mr. Jodice also stated that Xreal will support Android XR and release a new version called Project Aura in 2026. Xreal is also adding AI feedback to its new smart glasses. I also got to see Viture's new smart glasses, which are in this same category. Both companies are making great strides in developing even better versions of their products. Another significant player in this space is Snap, which has Snap Spectacles. Although very different from what Xreal and Viture are doing, Snap has created great smart glasses that are powerful for gaming and have all types of applications for consumers and businesses. The third type of glasses we discussed, which has a longer development cycle, are smart glasses with a video screen in the lenses so a person can get visual feedback when using them. There were many great sessions on optical lenses and the challenges of getting them to work well, and from the ones I attended, it is clear that breakthroughs in optical technology are needed to get this right. The panel felt that, by late 2026-2028, we will see more smart glasses come to market in this category. If you are interested in smart glass optical challenges, I suggest you visit Karl Guttag's KGOn Tech Blog for a deeper understanding of this subject. He had the best session on this topic at AWE, and his grasp of this issue is impressive. However, the panel discussed a significant topic: the future of smart glasses and its OS war on the horizon. Currently, Snap and Meta have two dedicated operating systems for their glasses. However, Google recently introduced Android XR, a new OS for smart glasses. With support from Samsung, Xreal, and others, this will become the third OS for smart glasses. We expect Apple to deliver its smart glasses and launch a fourth OS in the near future. In April, I wrote a column on Face Computing that sets the tone for what I see as a coming OS battle. To date, we have two major OS computing platforms: operating systems for PCs and Macs and operating systems for smartphones with iOS and Android. But I see the next big computing market will be around face computing, where our faces will be given the next significant way we deliver and work with information in the future. We are now laying the groundwork for the next personal computing battle, in which an OS and a software ecosystem will develop and drive the concept of wearable computing in the future. If history is our guide, we should see a huge push to get software developers to support one or two of these face computing OS platforms and start to build a significant ecosystem of apps and services for this type of wearable computer. If I am right about face computing being the next big thing in personal computing, AWE could evolve to become the main show for the industry within this category. As my panel of experts believes, we should see some remarkable new types of smart glasses come to market in the next two to three years. Disclosure: Qualcomm, Samsung, Lenovo, Google, Meta and Apple subscribes to Creative Strategies research reports along with many other high tech companies around the world.
