Content ratings
The age ratings on films, TV programmes and video games, and what each one means.
The MPA film ratings in the United States, G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17, and what each one means.
The U.S. TV Parental Guidelines, from TV-Y to TV-MA, and the content letters D, L, S, V and FV.
The ESRB ratings on games in North America and the PEGI ages in Europe, and what each one means.
About content ratings
Content ratings are the age ratings on films, TV programs and video games. In the United States each medium has its own system, run by its own industry rather than by the government. Films get one of the Motion Picture Association’s movie ratings, from G to NC-17, from a board of parents. TV programs are rated under the TV Parental Guidelines, from TV-Y to TV-MA, by the networks and producers themselves; the Guidelines were modeled on the film ratings. Video games have their own ratings: in North America the ESRB’s, from Everyone to Adults Only 18+, and in Europe PEGI’s ages 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18.
Where each system draws its lines
The film ratings mark two ages. PG-13 cautions about children under 13, R admits children under 17 only with a parent or adult guardian, and NC-17 admits no one 17 and under. The TV ratings mark three: TV-Y7 is for children 7 and above, TV-14 cautions about children under 14, and TV-MA may be unsuitable for children under 17. Only R and NC-17 restrict anything by themselves, and theaters enforce them. A TV rating restricts nothing until a V-chip or other parental control is set to block it; since 2000 every new TV set 13 inches or larger has had a V-chip.
Letters and descriptors
Both systems say why a rating was given, in different ways. A film rated PG or above gets a descriptor written for that film. A TV program gets one or more of five content letters: D, L, S, V and, on children’s programs, FV.
Every country has its own system
The MPA notes that its ratings are used only by American audiences and that every country has its own system for rating films.
Sources
- Resources & FAQ (FilmRatings.com), Classification and Rating Administration, Motion Picture Association
- Classification and Rating Rules, Effective as revised July 24, 2020, Motion Picture Association and National Association of Theatre Owners
- The TV Parental Guidelines (ratings fact sheet), TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board
- Frequently Asked Questions (TV Parental Guidelines), TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board
- The V-Chip: Options to Restrict What Your Children Watch on TV, Consumer guide, last reviewed 10 December 2019, Federal Communications Commission
- Ratings Guide (ESRB), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
- What do the labels mean? (PEGI), PEGI (Pan European Game Information)
Last reviewed October 2, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research