In 2005, according to Census Bureau estimates, 38% of the U.S. population was over the age of 45. Persons in older demographic groups have the highest rates of hearing loss. As the nation grows proportionately older, the demand for closed captioning grows with it.

Captions are an excellent tool for enhancing one's reading, language, and vocabulary skills. Persons learning English as a second language can use captioning to improve reading and listening comprehension and increase their vocabulary.

In addition, captions are useful in places with noisy surroundings that are not conducive to television listening. Some examples are airports, restaurants or lounges, health clubs, and private parties. In these environments, closed-captioning enhances the viewing experience, providing the audio in written form.