Amazon Prime Video signs up to British content rating guidelines

Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service has signed an agreement with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to produce age ratings for content.

The agreement will enable Prime Video to build on their existing trust and safety tools, in order to move towards the in-house production of BBFC age ratings that are in line with the BBFC’s classification guidelines.

The BBFC will support Prime Video as they adapt their rating methodologies in the U.K. to fully reflect the BBFC’s classification standards. This will extend the presence of the BBFC’s trusted guidance on the streaming service in the U.K,, the BBFC said. As part of the agreement, the BBFC will share additional expertise and insight into the standards they apply when classifying film, video and TV content.

The guidelines are updated every four to five years and the BBFC will consult on its guidelines this year, with any changes required by the research coming into force in early 2024.

Recent BBFC research, conducted by We Are Family, reveals 90% of parents/caregivers of four-to 15-year-olds and 80% of teenagers aged 16-19 consider age ratings and content advice to be of equal importance on streaming services as they are for films in the cinema. The research also shows a high demand for both age ratings and content advice on streaming services, particularly amongst parents and caregivers.

Natasha Kaplinsky, president of the BBFC, said: “We are thrilled to announce our strengthened relationship with Prime Video in the U.K., which will help to increase the coverage of our BBFC age ratings on the service. This news follows our recent research showing considerable demand for the consistent application of trusted BBFC age ratings and content advice on streaming services. I’m sure a lot of parents will be reassured that a leading streaming service, such as Prime Video, is taking this positive next step to give them the information they need to make safe and informed viewing decisions for their families. We are very much looking forward to this enhanced working relationship with Prime Video.”

David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC, added: “With families watching more content across a greater range of services than ever before, demand has never been higher for age ratings and content advice that reflect audiences’ values and expectations.”

Chris Bird, managing director of Prime Video U.K., said: “BBFC ratings are recognised and trusted across the U.K., and we are delighted to be deepening our long-standing relationship with the BBFC to ensure our U.K. customers can continue to make the right viewing decisions for their families.”

Julia Lopez, U.K. creative industries minister, said: “The BBFC’s well-recognized age ratings and content advice continue to be of huge value to audiences, helping parents and families across the U.K. make informed decisions about the content they watch.”

Currently, the BBFC works with 29 VOD/streaming services in the U.K. to provide age ratings for content on a voluntary best practice basis, including Apple TV+, Curzon Home Cinema, Lionsgate+, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and YouTube Movies. Variety