diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fbf1163d34..76d01b1841 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
     "shaka-player": "^2.5.5",
     "sortablejs": "^1.9.0",
     "swiper": "^3.4.2",
+    "libass-wasm": "^2.1.1",
     "webcomponents.js": "^0.7.24",
     "whatwg-fetch": "^1.1.1"
   },
diff --git a/src/bundle.js b/src/bundle.js
index 4748c6d281..54623fab74 100644
--- a/src/bundle.js
+++ b/src/bundle.js
@@ -90,3 +90,9 @@ require("libjass/libjass.css");
 _define("libjass", function() {
     return libjass;
 });
+
+// libass-wasm
+var libass_wasm = require("libass-wasm");
+_define("JavascriptSubtitlesOctopus", function() {
+    return libass_wasm;
+});
diff --git a/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/plugin.js b/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/plugin.js
index ac4e8cf6a5..adc76f67b1 100644
--- a/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/plugin.js
+++ b/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/plugin.js
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
         return _supportsTextTracks;
     }
 
+    function supportsCanvas() {
+        return !!document.createElement('canvas').getContext;
+    }
+
+    function supportsWebWorkers() {
+        return !!window.Worker;
+    }
+
     function enableNativeTrackSupport(currentSrc, track) {
 
         if (track) {
@@ -185,6 +193,7 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
 
         var lastCustomTrackMs = 0;
         var currentClock;
+        var currentSubtitlesOctopus;
         var currentAssRenderer;
         var customTrackIndex = -1;
 
@@ -962,6 +971,12 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
             currentClock = null;
             self._currentAspectRatio = null;
 
+            var octopus = currentSubtitlesOctopus;
+            if (octopus) {
+                octopus.dispose();
+            }
+            currentSubtitlesOctopus = null;
+
             var renderer = currentAssRenderer;
             if (renderer) {
                 renderer.setEnabled(false);
@@ -1026,6 +1041,22 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
             lastCustomTrackMs = 0;
         }
 
+        function renderWithSubtitlesOctopus(videoElement, track, item) {
+            var attachments = self._currentPlayOptions.mediaSource.MediaAttachments || [];
+            var options = {
+                video: videoElement,
+                subUrl: getTextTrackUrl(track, item),
+                fonts: attachments.map(i => i.DeliveryUrl),
+                workerUrl: appRouter.baseUrl() + "/libraries/subtitles-octopus-worker.js",
+                onError: function() {
+                    htmlMediaHelper.onErrorInternal(self, 'mediadecodeerror')
+                }
+            };
+            require(['JavascriptSubtitlesOctopus'], function(SubtitlesOctopus) {
+                currentSubtitlesOctopus = new SubtitlesOctopus(options);
+            });
+        }
+
         function renderWithLibjass(videoElement, track, item) {
 
             var rendererSettings = {};
@@ -1072,6 +1103,15 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
             });
         }
 
+        function renderSsaAss(videoElement, track, item) {
+            if (supportsCanvas() && supportsWebWorkers()) {
+                renderWithSubtitlesOctopus(videoElement, track, item);
+            } else {
+                console.log('rendering subtitles with libjass');
+                renderWithLibjass(videoElement, track, item);
+            }
+        }
+
         function onVideoResize() {
             if (browser.iOS) {
                 // the new sizes will be delayed for about 500ms with wkwebview
@@ -1182,7 +1222,7 @@ define(['browser', 'require', 'events', 'apphost', 'loading', 'dom', 'playbackMa
                 var format = (track.Codec || '').toLowerCase();
                 if (format === 'ssa' || format === 'ass') {
                     // libjass is needed here
-                    renderWithLibjass(videoElement, track, item);
+                    renderSsaAss(videoElement, track, item);
                     return;
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/style.css b/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/style.css
index ed7b6d126e..e1875ff332 100644
--- a/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/style.css
+++ b/src/components/htmlvideoplayer/style.css
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
     z-index: 1000;
 }
 
+.videoPlayerContainer .libassjs-canvas-parent {
+    order: -1;
+}
+
 video::-webkit-media-controls {
     display: none !important;
 }
diff --git a/webpack.common.js b/webpack.common.js
index 969c7d6e08..5e0f885267 100644
--- a/webpack.common.js
+++ b/webpack.common.js
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ const CopyPlugin = require("copy-webpack-plugin");
 
 const Assets = [
     "alameda/alameda.js",
-    "requirejs/require.js"
+    "requirejs/require.js",
+    "libass-wasm/dist/subtitles-octopus-worker.js",
+    "libass-wasm/dist/subtitles-octopus-worker.data",
+    "libass-wasm/dist/subtitles-octopus-worker.wasm"
 ];
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 34c6ad9164..705eac6a19 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -2943,6 +2943,11 @@ levn@^0.3.0, levn@~0.3.0:
     prelude-ls "~1.1.2"
     type-check "~0.3.2"
 
+libass-wasm@^2.1.1:
+  version "2.1.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/libass-wasm/-/libass-wasm-2.1.1.tgz#f12f4fdb9579dd422dcbc348bc3bd61097f4d07d"
+  integrity sha512-d45bHQ7tFVsLW3QstQDrDog2m+0D6Cja4GTrkGi70R9A5+aeLunPSUz3G4CVB+sKffNgiWjK4QI5NZLHQKZ9oQ==
+
 libjass@^0.11.0:
   version "0.11.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/libjass/-/libjass-0.11.0.tgz#bff1f464a2428c3bddfb68e4503b2d52afe3d6e6"