Okay, I've been looking for this information and I am no closer to finding it.

[conuly]

What IS the cost of adding audio description to a movie or TV show (that is, of hiring somebody to do the audio description), and what other costs might there be to Netflix adding it to its programs? Because there are the predictable people talking about the financial burden, but I can't very well say it's not that burdensome if I don't have a good idea of the total costs. Every reference I can find points to the cost on movie theaters, but that's not relevant to the question at all.

Comments

[andrewducker]

"Producing the descriptions costs between $2,000 to $4,000 per hour."

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/60097/networks-set-to-launch-video-descriptions

[steorra]

I have a number floating in my memory that a show would take about 8000 dollars to describe, which seems consistent with what you give. But I don't know where I got the number from or if I'm remembering accurately.

[andrewducker]

It seems expensive to me - but I don't know how long it takes to do a show, how many people are involved, etc.

[conuly]

Given that one half hour of reality tv is budgeted between $100k and $500k, and an hour on a drama is a million or more, I don't think that the $8000 is so burdensome.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/70141/which-costs-more-reality-tv-or-scripted-series

Daredevil had $3.3 million per episode.

Source: http://screenrant.com/marvel-netflix-daredevil-jessica-jones-casting/ (in the comments)

[andrewducker]

Sorry, I didn't mean "That seems too expensive for them to do." - I meant "That seems more expensive than I'd have expected."

[conuly]

Ah.

[conuly]

I'm thinking Daredevil in particular must have been at the more expensive side, given all the elaborate fight scenes

[conuly]

Thanks. That doesn't sound unduly burdensome - and it's especially ridiculous (I think?) for Netflix to drag their heels on making description available on content that already has it, though I can appreciate they'd have to do it bit by bit instead of all at once. Still, the sooner they get it done, the fewer manhours they need to devote to the task.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Does it offer it for some shows but not all, or not at all?

[conuly]

Not at all at the moment, though they've conceded to the point on Daredevil due to the outcry and are going to offer it for that.