What is EXTENDED CONSUMER ADVICE?

Extended Consumer Advice (ECA) is a short but detailed description of the issues found in a film, video or DVD work. It is an expanded version of the single line Consumer Advice that goes out with every film classified by the BBFC.
ECA will also tell you what certificate the work was given and what sort of audience the BBFC believes the work is suitable for.

Do all films, DVDs and Videos Games have ECA?

All films given ‘U’, ‘PG’ and ‘12A’ at the cinema since January 1st 2007 are automatically given ECA. Several other titles that might be of interest to parents are also available on this site and more are added all the time.
Starting in Summer 2007, all video games will be given ECA regardless of their rating.

Where can I find ECA?

ECA is displayed on this website. Search for the film, DVD or video game you want to read about or browse our database of titles.

Who is it for?

ECA is designed for adults who want to get a more detailed idea of what issues (such as sex, violence, drugs, bad language) they are likely to find within a film or video before they take a child to see it.
ECA for video games should give parents an idea of the issues in a game before it is played.

How does it work?

ECA explains the Consumer Advice and gives examples of the sorts of things you will see or hear in a film such as violence, bad language, sexual references etc.
It will also note any other issues that might be important for parents wishing to take younger viewers to see a film – such as themes of divorce or bereavement.
The classification issues will be noted in bold type so you can skip to the issues you are most concerned about.

Will reading the ECA ruin the film?

If possible, it will avoid giving away major plot points unless they are classification issues.
However, sometimes ECA will give away bits of the plot or describe scenes. For example it might refer to a specific fight scene to give you a flavour of the sort of violence in a film and how strong it is.

What if there is no ECA for a film listed on this site?

ECA should be available for all films classified ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12A’ at the cinema or ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12’ on video/DVD since the start of 2007. ECA is also available for many other titles.
If you can’t find information on a specific film, please feel free to contact us. If possible, we will add the work you require to our database.