Published: 13th November 2024

BBFC publishes latest Annual Report

Ratings at a glance

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  • Film classification body reveals 2023 was the biggest year for cinema submissions in a decade
  • Report shows a peak in 15 and 12-rated films, making 2023 a record year for submissions to the BBFC
  • Groundbreaking advancements in AI classification technology will support the human compliance process

The British Board of Classification (BBFC) has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2023, revealing unique insights into the UK’s film and cinema industry. The latest report reveals an uplift in overall content submitted for cinema classification, marking a ten-year record number of submissions in the two most popular age rating categories. 

2023 saw 1,114 cinema submissions to the BBFC, representing a 14% increase from submissions recorded in 2013. The 15 category remained the BBFC’s most frequently issued age rating in 2023, totalling nearly 500 submissions – another record for the decade. Films classified 15 in 2023 include Oppenheimer, Saltburn, How To Have Sex, Cocaine Bear and Talk To Me. The 12A category also saw a ten-year record, with over 380 cinema films classified at the category in 2023, including Barbie, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Polite Society and The Boy and the Heron. 

Last summer, the BBFC announced new advancements in exploring the power of AI to enhance content classification to further its core mission of helping audiences to make informed viewing decisions. Building on its extensive expertise, the BBFC is developing two new tools that utilise AI technology to help the industry adapt to evolving audience viewing habits while improving the efficiency of the human aspect of compliance, which will always remain imperative to the process. 

The first of these tools will enable access to locally sensitive age ratings for use in over 100 territories globally, removing the cost and resource barriers currently limiting VoD services’ adoption of BBFC ratings in the UK and other established rating systems worldwide. The second tool, currently in development, will use generative AI to identify and tag online content issues, offering large-scale efficiencies to content providers’ compliance requirements. 

In 2023, as part of its increasing collaboration with streaming platforms operating in the UK, the BBFC announced plans to strengthen its partnership with Prime Video. With a view to establishing a self-rating system similar to the BBFC’s existing successful agreement with Netflix, the BBFC worked closely with Prime Video to refine the platform's internal rating processes ahead of the wider adoption of BBFC age ratings and content advice across the service, ultimately making it even easier for Prime Video customers to choose the right content for themselves and their families.

David Austin OBE, Chief Executive of the BBFC said: “Following a precarious few years for the film and entertainment industry, it was encouraging to see cinema submissions increase in 2023. Looking forward, the BBFC will continue to deliver on our mission to support safer viewing experiences for UK audiences by supporting the cinema and home entertainment industries, as well as extending and enhancing our best-practice partnerships with streaming services. 

“As an extension of this, our groundbreaking work with AI will make trusted BBFC age ratings and content advice more accessible than ever before, enabling us to better meet the needs of our industry partners and ensure that families have the guidance they want and expect when choosing what to watch. There are exciting times ahead for the BBFC.”

Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, President of the BBFC added: "Last year was transformative for the Board, shaping our vision for the next five years. Participating in my first, and largest ever, Classification Guidelines consultation led to the publication of insightful research. The findings, together with our close work with major UK streaming platforms, signal the start of an exciting period for the BBFC.

"I am incredibly proud to work with such a talented team and look forward keenly to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."​​​​​​​

Annual Report 2023

PDF | 9.03 MB

For more information, please get in touch with Georgia Morian or Tasha Bourke on +447946 423719 or press@bbfc.co.uk. Further information and press assets can also be found on the Media Centre.

In 2023, the BBFC classified: 

  • 1,114 cinema films
  • 4,400 video submissions
  • 3,614 online submissions
  • 494 cinema films classified 15 
  • 383 cinema films classified 12

15-rated cinema films: 

  • Oppenheimer – Rated 15 for strong language, sex. 
  • Saltburn – Rated 15 for strong sex, nudity, sexual threat, drug misuse, very strong language.
  • How To Have Sex – Rated 15 for sexual violence, strong language, sex, sex references, drug misuse.
  • Cocaine Bear – Rated 15 for strong gore, violence, drug references, language.
  • Talk To Me – Rated 15 for strong bloody violence, injury detail, horror, very strong language.

12-rated cinema films: 

The introduction of ‘Dual Rating’, offering a faster, easier, and cheaper way for home entertainment customers to classify video on demand (VoD) and packaged media films recently rated for cinema. The service was made available to all BBFC customers after a successful pilot phase involving Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery as test customers. Eligible films now receive a 50% discount on BBFC fees compared to standard submissions.

New classroom resources to provide young people and educators with unique insight into our age ratings and content advice, including new curriculum-aligned case studies, ‘Rate a Trailer’ activities that allow pupils to experience what it's like to classify a film trailer and a dedicated RSE resource for Key Stage 4 students on the topic of pornography developed in partnership with the sex and wellbeing charity Brook. 

National Create The Card Competition for the release of Puss In Boots: The Last Wish in partnership with Universal. The competition received over 700 entries and was won by 9-year-old Toby, whose striking artwork was displayed in cinemas across the UK as the film’s official BBFC Black Card. 

Continued collaboration with the UK’s Mobile Network Operators to protect children from seeing harmful content on their phones – filtering hundreds of millions of websites unsuitable for children across 3G, 4G and 5G networks.

 

The BBFC is independent and not-for-profit, and here to help everyone in the UK – especially children and families – choose age-appropriate films, videos and websites, wherever and however they watch or use them. Now, as well as classifying films released in UK cinemas and on DVD and Blu-ray, it’s providing age-ratings for Video on Demand and music videos online, and helping Mobile Network Operators set parental controls at the right level. Please visit bbfc.co.uk for further information.

Building on its significant and long-standing classification expertise, the BBFC's AI solutions are designed to improve the end-to-end human viewing process. In June 2023, the organisation announced the first phase of its development project to explore the power of AI solutions in content classification. This AI technology aims to help the industry adjust to the changing ways audiences now view content whilst also enhancing efficiencies in the end-to-end human viewing process. Any income generated from licensing these solutions to third parties will be reinvested back into the BBFC, in line with the overarching goal of significantly reducing classification costs for customers. This forms part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to support the film and entertainment industry.