Global Ratings Policies
All content made available on Prime Video receives a Content Based Rating (CBR). CBRs combine movie and TV ratings into five recommended audience age bands: Kids, Older Kids, Teens, Young Adults, and Adults. These age groups are intended to help customers around the world make informed viewing decisions about the content available in the Prime Video catalog. The attached chart provides some information about the assignment of CBRs. Amazon Originals may also receive a local rating classification in certain territories of distribution.
In India, the official rating body for rating Movie titles locally produced in India CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification). There is no official rating body that provides rating values for TV Show titles, hence anything where we need to provide rating apart from the CBFC board is under the DMEC (Digital Media Ethics Code) rating scheme.
Note that all rating evaluations consider the totality of the content, including presentation, duration, frequency, degree of visual and audio details, and cumulative effect; the following guidelines are indicative only and do not guarantee that the content will not receive a higher rating classification on review.
Prior to the commencement of principal photography of each program, producers should discuss the desired CBR for the program with their creative counterparts at Amazon Studios (“AS”) to ensure that the program ultimately delivered by the producer adheres to the Ratings Guidelines for the desired rating.
A | B | C | D | E | |
1 |
Rating |
Violence/Gore |
Language |
Sex/Nudity |
Tobacco Substance Use |
2 |
All Ages: Designed to appeal to all ages and are suitable to be viewed by very young children. |
Content should not include any violence. Scenes depicting minimal to mild peril and unlikely to cause anxiety, fear, or horror are permissible. |
No strong or coarse language. |
Content should not include any nudity or sexual themes. |
Content should not include references to or depiction of smoking, alcohol, or drug use. |
3 |
7+(Older Kids): Designed to appeal to children aged seven (7) and above. |
Violence should be limited to mild depictions of menace/fantasy horror or peril, slapstick or comic violence, and minimal gore/blood without gratuitous or graphic depictions. |
Infrequent, non-aggressive coarse language may be permitted. |
Non-erotic nudity depicted in a scientific, artistic, historical, or cultural context may be permitted. |
Content may include limited contextual depictions of the legal use of tobacco or alcohol. |
4 |
13+ (Teens): Contains mild instances of mature themes; parental guidance is advised |
Moderate violence, as depicted by non-gratuitous and contextualized gore, may be permitted. |
Coarse/pejorative language and infrequent profanity may be permissible. |
Discreet, non-sexualized depictions of nudity may be allowed (e.g., bare buttocks); verbal references to sexual acts or sexual humor may be permitted. |
Reference to or infrequent depiction of drugs/alcohol/tobacco without implying or glorifying underage use may be allowed. |
5 |
16+ (Young Adults): Contain mature themes; parental guidance is strongly advised |
Contextualized graphic violence/gore/fright may be permitted in limited duration, including verbal references or narration. |
Sexual language/innuendo may be permitted. Coarse/pejorative language and profanity may be permissible. |
Depictions of intimacy, including brief/non-descript nudity; non-sexual, contextualized full nudity may be permissible |
Depictions of drug/tobacco/alcohol use may be allowed. |
6 |
18+(Adults): Contain frequent, recurrent depictions of mature content and are designed for an adult audience. Elements of these programs are presented here. |
Graphic violence/gore; intense horror involving disturbing scenes. |
Sexual language/innuendo; Coarse/pejorative language, profanity. |
Sexualized and/or non-sexualized full-frontal nudity and simulated or explicit sexual activity. |
A pervasive theme of illegal drug use. |
CBRs are visible on the Prime Video detail page for each Amazon Original and inserted via a dynamic overlay in the upper left side of the screen at the beginning of playback. Each episode of a television series receives a separate rating, but summary ratings for each season will default to the most-restrictive rating received by any individual episode.
In addition to assigning a CBR, Prime Video also will assign Content Descriptors for all content made available on Prime Video, including descriptors for nudity, sexual content, violence, alcohol, smoking, substance use, foul language, and flashing lights, and in the future, will add gradations for the severity of the content. Like the CBR, Content Descriptors will be visible on the Prime Video detail page for each Amazon Original and inserted via a dynamic overlay in the upper left side of the screen at the beginning of playback. Notwithstanding the addition of Content Descriptors, Amazon Studios may, in its sole discretion, add a card at the beginning of the program that includes one or more disclaimers.
For example, an Amazon Original with severe scenes of sexual assault or self-harm that may be triggering for Amazon’s customers may include a disclaimer card such as:
The following program contains scenes of rape. Viewer discretion is advised.
As another example, an Amazon Original documentary including political views or racially insensitive language that the Show Team and producers determine is important to include to retain authenticity for the project may include a disclaimer as follows:
This program is a documentary and presents the content as it was originally captured. The views of those featured in the program do not represent the perspective of Amazon.
The verbiage depends on the content type and is shared by Legal for every Indian Origin Amazon Studios title.