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Date:
July 23, 2020

Netflix Censors Vikings in India, Blurs Nudity and Meat

Netflix released the popular historical drama series “Vikings” in India in May 2020. However, to viewer’s shock it was a censored version. The show, released uncensored in US and Italy, comes with several cuts and blurs as reported by users. The scenes censored depict nudity, violence and even meat!

Scenes containing nudity are completely blurred and some violent scenes are cut. The scenes of meat involve two pieces of cooked pork-which Muslims find offensive. Ironically the scenes remained uncensored on Netflix in UAE a predominantly Muslim nation with strict rules against pork. In context, internationally on Netflix, Viking season 5, episode 12 is around 46 minutes long but in India, it’s around 42 and half minutes .

This is not the first time that Netflix released a sanitized show in India. Before this, the online streaming platform broadcast a censored version of the film “Angry Indian Goddesses” despite releasing uncut versions in other countries. Later, Netflix released the original version after receiving user complaints.

Considering that several series and films containing violent and sexual content are already available to Indian audiences on OTT platforms, censoring scenes containing pig meat, for instance, appear ironical to viewers. Netflix is known to make bold statements with its content, especially with shows like “Sacred Games” that were criticised for being  Hindu-phobic .

Several users commented on Twitter that they will cancel their Netflix subscriptions if it continues censoring shows for India. Users are enraged that the platform is giving in to restrictive pressures.

In response, Netflix tweeted “Netflix remains sensitive to the preferences, needs and local regulatory requirements in the markets where we operate. We comply if we receive written legal demand by the local governing authority.”

Further investigation reveals Netflix is streaming the show that initially premiered on History TV18 in India. History TV18 is a joint venture between the A+E Networks-owner of History Channel-U.S. broadcaster of Vikings and Reliance Industries. The channel blurred out the images of two cooked pigs in the episode titled “Murder Most Foul,” the sixth in the Nordic drama series. Netflix is airing the Indian TV-approved version of Vikings because it’s the only one with Hindi-language subtitles and voice dub which helps Netflix to create a wider regional and local reach for the show.

Netflix’s censorship in India is otherwise more subtle. Based on a report in Medianama , Netflix lawyers urged Hasan Minhaj to not show a map of Jammu and Kashmir on his show “Patriot Act,” asserting that they’d be sued if he did so. Minhaj complied to the request. In another instance, it backed out of buying a film called “Sexy Durga,” presumably to steer clear of backlash and criticism from Hindu viewers.

India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry is mulling censorship regulations for at least a year. The industry remains divided over implementation of censorship on OTT platforms. According to Krish Arvapally, co-founder, President and CTO of UNREEL Entertainment, “Such a move could creatively limit content creators, economically hobble young media businesses, and in a socio-political sense, it could set troubling precedents on what can and cannot be shown or communicated to the general public.”

Regardless of the government’s decision, it appears that OTT platforms such as Netflix are increasingly taking initiative to adopt self-censorship in India based on their assessment of offending cultural content.

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Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

To address these challenges, M&E companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions. Platforms like SpherexAI utilize artificial intelligence to analyze visual, audio, and textual elements, providing insights into how well content aligns with cultural and regulatory standards across over 200 countries and territories. This approach helps media companies understand the "cultural distance" between a title's origin and its target market, enabling them to make informed decisions about global distribution.

By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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nScreenNoise - Interview Spherex: Avoiding the cultural dead zone

One of the conundrums of streaming is that although a service can deliver content globally, it is not guaranteed to be acceptable in a particular local market. Netflix found this out when it announced global availability in 2016 at CES and was quickly banned in markets like Indonesia, where some of the content was deemed too violent or sexual. In 2016, without boots on the ground in a local market, it wasn’t easy to assess whether a show or movie would be culturally acceptable.

Today, global media companies are acutely aware of the importance of their content’s cultural fit. Moreover, they have a company like Spherex to help them prepare their content to ensure it fits with any country of interest. I interviewed Teresa Phillips, the Co-Founder and CEO of Spherex, at the recent OTT.X Summit in Los Angeles. She explained how the company is leveraging AI and its massive cultural profiling database to help companies prepare content for target markets. She also explained how, in the near future, AI would aid the company in measuring a movie or show’s cultural distance from a regional market and help it avoid falling into the failure zone between cultural fit and novelty interest.

Listen to the full interview here.

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