diff --git a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParser.java b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParser.java
index f62b073f602..1f7f7eddf2c 100644
--- a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParser.java
+++ b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParser.java
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@
 import java.util.ArrayDeque;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
@@ -137,6 +139,31 @@ public final class WebvttCueParser {
 
   private static final String TAG = "WebvttCueParser";
 
+  private static final Map<String, Integer> DEFAULT_COLORS;
+  private static final Map<String, Integer> DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS;
+
+  static {
+    DEFAULT_COLORS = new HashMap<>();
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("black", 0xFF000000);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("blue", 0xFF0000FF);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("cyan", 0xFF00FFFF);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("lime", 0xFF00FF00);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("magenta", 0xFFFF00FF);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("red", 0xFFFF0000);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("white", 0xFFFFFFFF);
+    DEFAULT_COLORS.put("yellow", 0xFFFFFF00);
+
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS = new HashMap<>();
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_black", 0xFF000000);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_blue", 0xFF0000FF);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_cyan", 0xFF00FFFF);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_lime", 0xFF00FF00);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_magenta", 0xFFFF00FF);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_red", 0xFFFF0000);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_white", 0xFFFFFFFF);
+    DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.put("bg_yellow", 0xFFFFFF00);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Parses the next valid WebVTT cue in a parsable array, including timestamps, settings and text.
    *
@@ -514,6 +541,8 @@ private static void applySpansForTag(
         text.setSpan(new UnderlineSpan(), start, end, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
         break;
       case TAG_CLASS:
+        applySupportedClasses(text, startTag.classes, start, end);
+        break;
       case TAG_LANG:
       case TAG_VOICE:
       case "": // Case of the "whole cue" virtual tag.
@@ -529,6 +558,20 @@ private static void applySpansForTag(
     }
   }
 
+  private static void applySupportedClasses(SpannableStringBuilder text, String[] classes,
+      int start, int end) {
+    for (String className : classes) {
+      if (DEFAULT_COLORS.containsKey(className)) {
+        int color = DEFAULT_COLORS.get(className);
+        text.setSpan(new ForegroundColorSpan(color), start, end, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
+      }
+      if (DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.containsKey(className)) {
+        int color = DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLORS.get(className);
+        text.setSpan(new BackgroundColorSpan(color), start, end, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   private static void applyStyleToText(SpannableStringBuilder spannedText, WebvttCssStyle style,
       int start, int end) {
     if (style == null) {
diff --git a/library/core/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParserTest.java b/library/core/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParserTest.java
index aa83fbc8edb..b263ba91c95 100644
--- a/library/core/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParserTest.java
+++ b/library/core/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/text/webvtt/WebvttCueParserTest.java
@@ -79,6 +79,38 @@ public void testParseRubyTagWithEmptyTextTag() throws Exception {
         .withTextAndPosition("", RubySpan.POSITION_OVER);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testForegroundTextColorClass() throws Exception {
+    Spanned text = parseCueText("In this sentence <c.red>this text</c> is red");
+
+    assertThat(text.toString()).isEqualTo("In this sentence this text is red");
+    assertThat(text).hasForegroundColorSpanBetween("In this sentence ".length(), "In this sentence this text".length());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testUnsupportedColorForForegroundTextColorClass() throws Exception {
+    Spanned text = parseCueText("In this sentence <c.papayawhip>this text</c> is not papaya");
+
+    assertThat(text.toString()).isEqualTo("In this sentence this text is not papaya");
+    assertThat(text).hasNoSpans();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testBackgroundTextColorClass() throws Exception {
+    Spanned text = parseCueText("In this sentence <c.bg_red>this text</c> has a red background");
+
+    assertThat(text.toString()).isEqualTo("In this sentence this text has a red background");
+    assertThat(text).hasBackgroundColorSpanBetween("In this sentence ".length(), "In this sentence this text".length());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testUnsupportedColorForBackgroundTextColorClass() throws Exception {
+    Spanned text = parseCueText("In this sentence <c.bg_papayawhip>this text</c> doesn't have a papaya background");
+
+    assertThat(text.toString()).isEqualTo("In this sentence this text doesn't have a papaya background");
+    assertThat(text).hasNoSpans();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testParseWellFormedUnclosedEndAtCueEnd() throws Exception {
     Spanned text = parseCueText("An <u some trailing stuff>unclosed u tag with "