Which is More Regulated, Film or TV?

The answer is tricky.

Ask the average consumer if there's any difference between film and TV ratings, and they'll probably say "No." However, there are significant differences, as the above image from the MPA and TV Parental Guideline Monitoring Board indicates. From a content creator and distribution standpoint, preparing a title for television can require as much, if not more, content analysis and work to ensure it complies with local regulations.

The primary regulatory and market concerns of theatrical releases center on age ratings and compliance. TV distribution must also be concerned with the placement of commercial breaks, available run-time, watersheds, and more. Each impacts audience size and attractiveness to advertisers, affecting the bottom line.

Addressing these issues means understanding the story well enough to know where to break, what to bleep, blur, or cut, and when it will air. Given broadcast time constraints, changes can be easier to make than theatrical releases, but consumers expect the story to remain as true to the theatrical release as possible. That becomes trickier as one navigates international borders and encounters different age classifications, cultures, and languages.

Comparing Classifications

Most countries and territories have some form of film and TV classification system. Some are run by official government ministries, agencies, or the industry itself. Film classification boards have existed since the early 1900s. Ratings in those early days were considered moral guidelines without reference to age. These were implemented in a way many thought was overly restrictive and political and had " the odious smell of censorship. " Age-based classifications that were more acceptable to the global film industry have existed since the 1920s but were not widely adopted until 1968. Viewer age or maturity is the standard classification model used today.

The table below illustrates the differences between film and TV classifications for six countries. It indicates the complexity of content classifications across countries.

Countries may also require "consumer advice" or "advisories" appended to the age rating every time they appear, such as at the program's start and after each commercial break. Advice used in Australia, for example, includes the following:

A identifies stories or scenes with adult themes, medical procedures, or crude humor
V used for scenes depicting violence
L used for the use of coarse language
S used for scenes depicting simulated sex scenes and/or references
H used for scenes containing horror or supernatural themes
D used for scenes with drug references and/or use
N used for titles or scenes containing nudity

Regulators may also require indicators of intensity or frequency included with the advice, such as "mild" and "strong" or "some" and "frequent." Examples are "strong language," "intense fight scenes," or "disturbing visuals." Theatrical releases do not use these flags.

While movie and TV ratings may seem similar to the average consumer, a closer look reveals deep complexities. From navigating diverse international regulations to adhering to platform-specific restrictions, content creators and distributors face a delicate balancing act. This intricate dance between regulations, audience preferences, and commercial viability ensures that content reaches suitable viewers while staying true to its original form.

As technology and viewing habits evolve, so will the need for flexible and nuanced classification systems that cater to the ever-advancing entertainment landscape. The good news is that Spherex provides a suite of services to help you easily navigate this process. Contact us today to learn more.

Related Insights

Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

Spherex

Regulation

Classification

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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nScreenNoise - Interview Spherex: Avoiding the cultural dead zone

Spherex

Culture

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

Spherex

Industry

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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