From 1 July to 30 September 2026, you can choose Spherex to handle the content analysis behind your New Zealand classification. You send us a short submission template, we do the analysis, and the OFLC stays the final decision maker on every rating.
New Zealand's Classification Office (OFLC) is testing whether a selected provider can carry the content analysis while the OFLC remains the sole legal authority on every classification. During the pilot you can opt in title by title, choose Spherex as your provider, and let us do the work behind the scenes. You stay in control of your release.
The OFLC is offering a lower classification fee for titles submitted through the pilot. Fees are set and managed by the OFLC, so there is nothing to pay Spherex directly.
The pilot is built to cut the wait distributors face today. Spherex aims to complete its analysis within two business days of confirming it can access your title.
We have issued more than a million age ratings and content advisories for films, series, and trailers, applied to local standards across 200 plus countries and territories. Our ratings are accepted by regulators, platforms, and studios around the world.
Our AI reviews each title scene by scene against New Zealand's classification criteria, not a one size fits all global rating.
Detailed content analysis delivered in days, not weeks, so your title reaches New Zealand audiences sooner.
We work directly with classification bodies across the world and understand exactly what a regulator needs to make a confident decision.
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For each eligible title, the pilot replaces the standard route. Here is the full path, from lodging your title to receiving the outcome.
Start with the standard process at the Film and Video Labelling Body. The FVLB confirms whether your title needs an OFLC decision. If it does, you can opt into the pilot.
Choose Spherex as your provider for that title. The OFLC is notified that you have opted in. You decide title by title, so there is no commitment to use the pilot for every submission.
Fill in the Spherex Excel template with your title details and a link to the video asset, then email it to the Spherex submission address you receive at onboarding. You never send the video file itself, we access it directly from the link you provide.
We check that the template is complete and that your video link works. If anything is missing or the link will not open, we reply with exactly what to fix, with the OFLC copied. The two business day clock starts once your submission is confirmed.
Spherex indexes the title and produces a recommended New Zealand age rating, an objectionable content review, and scene level detail, then delivers it to the OFLC through the SpherexAI platform. Our two business day analysis closes at this point.
Classification officers review the Spherex analysis and make the final, legally binding decision. Spherex does not issue classifications, this remains the sole responsibility of the OFLC under New Zealand law. The OFLC has up to three business days for this step.
The OFLC communicates the decision directly to you. All classification communication comes from the OFLC, not from Spherex. Once you are notified, the process for that title is complete.
For every title in the pilot, Spherex delivers three outputs to the OFLC. The OFLC uses them alongside its own review to reach the final decision independently.
The pilot is by invitation from the OFLC. When you are invited, the OFLC sends you an information packet with everything you need to submit a title through Spherex.
The information packet from the OFLC contains everything you need to prepare and send a submission:
Once you have your packet, fill in the template, add your video link, and email it to the Spherex submission address.
Download the Spherex Excel template now and have it ready before your OFLC packet arrives, or whenever you are set to submit a title.
Download template (.xlsx)The Spherex pilot team is happy to help. Copy our address and email us from your usual mail app.
Not sure whether you have been invited? The participant list is managed by the OFLC. Please contact the OFLC directly to confirm eligibility, as Spherex cannot confirm or amend the list.
Spherex sends you the Excel template when you are onboarded. Fill in every required field, add your video link, and email it back. Optional fields improve the analysis and are recommended where you have them.
| Field | Required | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Distributor | Required | Your organisation's name, up to 250 characters. This is how the OFLC and Spherex identify which organisation submitted the title. Not the creative producer, and not an individual's name. |
| Title Type | Required | Series or Feature. |
| Title Name | Required | Name of the movie or TV show, up to 250 characters. |
| Season Number | Required (Series) | Two digits, 01 to 99. |
| Episode Number | Required (Series) | Two or three digits, 01 to 999. |
| Episode Name | Required (Series) | Name of the specific episode, up to 250 characters. |
| Version | Required | Standard, Explicit, or Clean. Default is Standard. |
| External Content ID | Required | Your own reference ID for the title in your systems, up to 100 characters. Must be unique per title in your system. Used to map the rating back to your content. |
| IMDB ID | Optional | IMDB ID of the feature or episode, up to 100 characters. |
| Runtime | Required | Format HH:MM:SS (for example 01:34:22). |
| Production / Release Year | Required | Format YYYY. Provide the production year if the title has not yet been released. |
| Country of Origin | Required | Up to 5 countries, valid per ISO 3166-1 (for example United States, Canada, United Kingdom). |
| Original Language | Required | Up to 5 languages, valid per ISO 639-2/B (for example English, Spanish, French). |
| Genre | Optional | Content genre, up to 100 characters (for example Drama, Crime, Comedy). Accepted values shared separately at onboarding. |
| Synopsis | Required | Brief plot overview, up to 5,000 characters. |
| Writer | Optional | Up to 250 characters. Multiple values separated by commas. |
| Director | Optional | Up to 250 characters. Multiple values separated by commas. |
| Production Company | Optional | Up to 250 characters. Multiple values separated by commas. |
| Cast | Optional | Principal cast names, up to 2,000 characters, comma separated. |
| Video Source | Required | Full URL of the source video file. See the video requirements below for accepted formats and access rules. |
| Video Asset Language | Required | The most prevalent audio language of the asset. One value only. |
| Subtitle Source | Required** | Full URL of the subtitle file (.srt, .vtt, .itt, .scc, or .ttml; max 1MB). Required for all asset languages except English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. |
We access your asset directly from the link in the template, so you do not send the file. The link must stay live for at least 12 hours from submission. Once we have retrieved the asset, you can revoke it.
https://[bucket].s3.[region].amazonaws.com/[key]?X-Amz-...Spherex supports standard broadcast and streaming delivery formats. Send the full, unedited version of the title as intended for distribution. Watermarked screeners are fine, as long as the watermark does not obscure significant portions of the frame. The full delivery spec is included in your onboarding pack. Contact us if you have a format not listed there.
For titles whose primary audio is not English, a subtitle file (TTML) via the SubtitleSource field is strongly recommended. It improves the accuracy of the analysis and the quality of what we deliver to the OFLC.
Your submission template comes with your OFLC invitation packet. Questions about getting set up? The Spherex pilot team is here to help.