Bulgarian viewers pay for the same streaming services. We deserve to understand the content in our own language.

To Netflix, Disney+, and other major streaming platforms,

We, Bulgarian-speaking viewers in Bulgaria and around the world, are asking you to make Bulgarian subtitles a standard language option for your movies and TV series.

Millions of people speak Bulgarian, yet Bulgarian viewers frequently encounter major films, series and streaming originals without subtitles in their native language.

For many people, watching with English subtitles is not a reasonable substitute.

This particularly affects children, families, older viewers, people who do not speak English fluently, and anyone who simply wants to enjoy entertainment comfortably in their own language.

We are not asking for every movie and series to be dubbed into Bulgarian.

We are asking for something much simpler:

Give Bulgarian viewers Bulgarian subtitles.

Bulgaria should not be overlooked
Bulgaria has a population of approximately 6.4 million people.

Yet major streaming platforms already provide extensive localization for a number of European languages representing markets of a comparable or even smaller size.

Disney+, for example, has expanded language support to Croatian, despite Croatia having a population of fewer than 4 million people.

Other relatively small European markets also receive localized streaming content, while languages such as Hungarian have substantial subtitle and audio support across major platforms including Netflix and Disney+.

We understand that population alone does not determine whether a language is supported.

Subscriber numbers, licensing agreements, localization costs, content rights and business priorities all play a role.

But these examples demonstrate something important:

The size of the Bulgarian market cannot, by itself, justify the continued absence of Bulgarian subtitles.

If localization is possible for other European languages with similar or smaller potential audiences, Bulgarian viewers deserve to be considered as well.

Bulgarian customers are paying customers
Bulgarian subscribers pay for these services just like subscribers elsewhere in Europe.

Yet the experience they receive is often different.

A film or series may be available in Bulgaria, but without Bulgarian subtitles a significant part of the population cannot fully enjoy the content they are already paying to access.

Language accessibility should be part of the customer experience.

Bulgarian is an official language of the European Union and the native language of millions of people.

We are not asking for special treatment.

We are asking for fair language access.

What we are asking for
We call on Netflix, Disney+, and other major streaming platforms to:

Provide Bulgarian subtitles for new original movies and series wherever localization and licensing rights allow it.
Gradually add Bulgarian subtitles to popular films, series and existing platform originals.
Include Bulgarian as a supported language when planning future European localization.
Provide viewers with a clear way to request Bulgarian subtitles for individual titles.
Communicate transparently with Bulgarian customers about plans for future Bulgarian-language support.
We recognize that adding subtitles to an entire catalogue cannot happen overnight.

We are not demanding an immediate translation of every title.

What we are asking for is a commitment to begin.

Start with new original productions.

Start with the most watched movies and series.

Start with children's and family content.

And then gradually expand Bulgarian-language support across the catalogue.

This is about inclusion
Streaming has transformed entertainment by allowing the same stories to reach people across borders, cultures and languages.

One of the greatest advantages of digital platforms is that adding subtitle options makes content accessible to audiences that traditional broadcasting could not always reach.

Bulgarian speakers should be part of that audience.

People should not have to rely on unofficial subtitles, third-party websites or another foreign language simply to understand content available through a service they legally subscribe to.

For Bulgarian families living abroad, Bulgarian subtitles also have another important role: they help children maintain a connection with their language.

For people living in Bulgaria, they make international entertainment accessible regardless of their knowledge of English.

For everyone, they simply provide the choice to watch content in their native language.

Bulgaria watches too
This petition is not against Netflix, Disney+ or any other streaming platform.

We are customers because we value the content these services provide.

That is exactly why we are asking them to improve.

We want Bulgaria to be treated as a market worth localizing for.

We want Bulgarian viewers to have the same opportunity to enjoy global entertainment in their own language as millions of other Europeans already do.

To Netflix, Disney+, and every streaming service operating in Bulgaria:

Please hear your Bulgarian audience.

Please add Bulgarian subtitles.

If you are Bulgarian, speak Bulgarian, have Bulgarian family or simply believe that audiences should have reasonable access to entertainment in their own language, please sign and share this petition.

Every signature shows that there is a real audience behind this request.

BULGARIA WATCHES TOO.

Fair language access for Bulgarian viewers.

#BulgarianSubtitles #BulgariaWatchesToo