The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has announced a new self-rating agreement with Prime Video.
The BBFC will work closely with Prime Video and its vast catalogue of content to embed its standards within the company’s internal compliance process. Following the successful completion of a 12-month pilot, Prime Video will be able to generate BBFC age ratings in-house – initially for its Amazon Originals and Exclusives. The BBFC will regularly audit Prime Video classification decisions to ensure the self-rating process delivers very high levels of accuracy on an ongoing basis.
The goal is to achieve widespread coverage of BBFC age ratings across the majority of Prime Video’s SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) and TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) content offerings.
“Our latest Classification Guidelines research shows that trust in the BBFC is at an all-time high. People told us just how much they value seeing our age ratings wherever and however they decide to watch content,” said David Austin OBE, Chief Executive, BBFC.
“This partnership is a fantastic example of best practice, which we hope to replicate with other streaming services operating in the UK to help and empower families, in line with the clearly expressed preference for consistency.”
Research published by the BBFC earlier this year revealed that eight in ten (81%) people want a consistent age rating system across cinema, physical media, and Video on Demand and streaming services. The research also showed that the BBFC and its iconic age rating symbols remain highly trusted, recognised and valued by audiences across the UK. 90% of parents/caregivers, 91% of teachers, and 88% of teens aged 16-19 say that they trust BBFC age ratings all or most of the time.
Chris Bird, UK Managing Director, Prime Video said: “We have worked with the BBFC for years at Prime Video UK to ensure that our customers have the information they need to choose what to watch with confidence.”
The BBFC has been working with Prime Video since March 2015. Prime Video is currently licensed to display BBFC age rating symbols on content previously classified by the BBFC. The self-rating pilot began on 1 May 2024 and is expected to last about 12 months.
Alongside Prime Video, over 30 VOD and streaming services are currently licensed to carry BBFC age ratings and/or BBFC data on a voluntary, best-practice basis. These platforms include Netflix, Apple TV+, BFI Player, Curzon Home Cinema, EE Store, Sky Store and YouTube Movies & TV.
