Films are usually shown at special screenings aimed at deaf and hard of hearing audiences and their families. However, recently six theatres in six America cities have dedicated screens exclusively for captioned showings. Studios pay the cost of captioning, prints and distribution. Exhibitors provide the screen, general advertising and promotion. Local advocacy and service groups promote showings.
Patrons pay the same admission fee as all other customers.
A drawback of open captioning is the need to arrange for special screenings. Theatres are reluctant to use open captions for regular screenings as they may distract hearing patrons. Often captioned showings are restricted to off peak times. Patrons requiring captioned access, as a result, have limited opportunities to view captioned movies. The cost of producing multiple copies of captioned prints and the need for special distribution of prints increases costs and makes availability of captioned prints difficult.