diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f05df2f..af97e22 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 ## Unreleased
 
 * 🐛 Changed THEOplayer to be an `api` dependency in Gradle. ([#76](https://github.com/THEOplayer/android-ui/pull/76))
+* 🐛 The alpha value of the `UIController`'s background color is now correctly preserved. ([#78](https://github.com/THEOplayer/android-ui/issues/78), [#79](https://github.com/THEOplayer/android-ui/pull/79))
 
 ## v1.13.0 (2025-09-12)
 
diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/com/theoplayer/android/ui/UIController.kt b/ui/src/main/java/com/theoplayer/android/ui/UIController.kt
index e378101..cb1216c 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/com/theoplayer/android/ui/UIController.kt
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/com/theoplayer/android/ui/UIController.kt
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ fun UIController(
     modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
     config: THEOplayerConfig,
     source: SourceDescription? = null,
-    color: Color = Color.Black,
+    color: Color = Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.5f),
     centerOverlay: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
     errorOverlay: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
     topChrome: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ fun UIController(
 fun UIController(
     modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
     player: Player = rememberPlayer(),
-    color: Color = Color.Black,
+    color: Color = Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.5f),
     centerOverlay: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
     errorOverlay: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
     topChrome: (@Composable UIControllerScope.() -> Unit)? = null,
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ fun UIController(
     }
     val background by animateColorAsState(
         label = "BackgroundAnimation",
-        targetValue = color.copy(alpha = if (backgroundVisible) 0.5f else 0f),
+        targetValue = if (backgroundVisible) color else color.copy(alpha = 0f),
         animationSpec = tween(
             easing = LinearEasing,
             durationMillis = if (backgroundVisible) {