MPA
The Motion Picture Association is a US trade association founded in 1922 that represents the seven major Hollywood film, television, and streaming studios, operating the CARA film rating system, the ACE anti-piracy coalition, and the Trusted Partner Network through member dues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersSherman Oaks, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MPA does
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), founded in 1922 and headquartered in Washington, DC, is a private trade association that represents the major US film, television, and streaming studios. Its membership comprises seven enterprises: Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Skydance, Netflix, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, and Amazon MGM Studios. The organization was rebranded from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to the Motion Picture Association in 2019 to reflect its global mandate.
MPA operates three core platforms: the voluntary film rating system administered through the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), with G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 designations; the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy coalition coordinating legal action against illegal streaming operations; and the Trusted Partner Network (TPN), a content security assessment program for pre-release content protection. The PG-13 designation is a registered trademark. Supporting platforms include The Credits (industry publication), the Streaming Innovation Alliance (distribution advocacy), and regional wholly owned entities covering Canada, APAC, EMEA, and Latin America.
The business model is membership dues from its seven member studios, with no consumer-facing products or pricing. The primary go-to-market is bipartisan advocacy and lobbying before US federal and state legislatures, regulatory agencies, and international governments, alongside industry events (CinemaCon, SXSW), policy filings, and commissioned economic research (e.g., Oxford Economics study on South Korea, Deloitte study on India). Charles Rivkin serves as Chairman and CEO. The organization is governed by its member studios rather than external investors.
MPA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MPA
- Legal name
- Motion Picture Association, Inc.
- Website
- https://mpaa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Motion Picture Association is a US trade association founded in 1922 that represents the seven major Hollywood film, television, and streaming studios, operating the CARA film rating system, the ACE anti-piracy coalition, and the Trusted Partner Network through member dues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MPA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Association / Film Industry Advocacy
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Public Relations Agencies (54182)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Anti-Piracy, Content Protection & Enforcement (MPADALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Security Testing & Compliance (Pen Testing, Studio/TPN/MPA Readiness) (MPAHAMAK), QC, Compliance & Certification (Technical/Editorial, Platform Specs) (MPAHALAI)
Keywords
Where MPA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sherman Oaks
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
MPA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership dues: The MPA is funded by membership dues from major film and television studios including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Netflix, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Amazon MGM Studios. As a trade association, revenue comes from these member contributions rather than direct consumer sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
MPA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MPA is the leading trade association of the film, television, and streaming industry, representing major studios including Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Amazon MGM Studios. It administers the voluntary U.S. film rating system (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) through its Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), conducts global anti-piracy enforcement through the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), and provides content security assessments via the Trusted Partner Network (TPN). The organization primarily advocates for its members' policy, copyright, and trade interests before U.S. and international governments.
Product overview
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is a trade association representing major film, television, and streaming studios including Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, and Amazon MGM Studios. The MPA operates as a platform-plus-advocacy organization offering the voluntary Film Rating System through CARA, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) anti-piracy coalition, and the Trusted Partner Network (TPN) content security assessment program. Additionally, the MPA publishes The Credits industry content platform and partners with the Streaming Innovation Alliance on distribution advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Credits: Industry publication/blog covering film, television, and streaming industry news and interviews
- MPA America250
Products and services
- Film Rating System (CARA) The MPA's Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) administers the voluntary U.S. film rating system used by studios to assign G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 classifications to films. The service helps parents make informed viewing decisions and provides studios with a trusted, standardized rating framework. The MPA-owned PG-13 trademark represents over 60 years of brand recognition with American parents.
- Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) MPA's global anti-piracy coalition that coordinates legal action, technological enforcement, and industry cooperation against illegal streaming services. ACE conducts operations against pirate streaming sites — such as the takedown of pirate site HDFull's Discord server (approximately 33,000 members) — and protects MPA member studios' content from digital theft.
- Trusted Partner Network (TPN) A content security assessment program providing studios and content owners with standardized, independent security audits of vendor facilities, workflows, and technologies handling pre-release content. TPN prevents pre-release content leaks across the digital supply chain for MPA member studios.
Companies that use MPA
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MPA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MPA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MPA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Copyright Alliance: US advocacy organization for creators and copyright holders, with overlapping anti-piracy and copyright policy missions; narrower scope (broader creator community) but functionally comparable advocacy mandate.
- Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA): Trade association for independent film/TV producers and distributors, providing advocacy and market access support; comparable trade association structure but focused on the independent segment rather than major studios.
Direct peers
- Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA): The closest analog to MPA: a US trade association representing major music labels (Universal, Sony, Warner), operating an anti-piracy enforcement program and serving as the unified policy voice for the recording industry. Same structural role in a parallel creative industry.
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB): US video game rating body operating a voluntary age/content rating system analogous to MPA's CARA; comparable consumer-facing rating function serving parents and adopted across an entertainment industry.
- British Board of Film Classification (BBFC): UK film and video classification body operating a parental rating system functionally identical to MPA's CARA; directly comparable rating administration function in a different geography.
- IFPI: Global music industry trade body that performs the same advocacy, anti-piracy, and market data functions for recorded music worldwide that MPA performs for film/TV/streaming. Direct functional and structural parallel at international level.
- National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO): US trade association representing cinema exhibition, with parallel advocacy, industry events (ShowEast/CinemaCon), and policy engagement functions alongside MPA, addressing the same theatrical value chain from the exhibitor side.
Others
- Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA): Talent union representing performers in film/TV with substantial industry advocacy and IP protection activity; adjacent player rather than direct competitor, operating on the labor side of the same industry.
- Motion Picture Association of Canada (MPAC) - Note: subsidiary of MPA, separate entity class: Canadian counterpart to MPA performing parallel trade association functions in Canada; included only as ecosystem reference.
- Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI): Joint venture of the major studios that sets technical standards for digital cinema; comparable industry-wide coordination role with overlapping membership and mission around protecting theatrical content.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
MPA social profiles
Digital presenceMPA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MPA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
MPA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
MPA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MPA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MPA
What does MPA do?
MPA is the leading trade association of the film, television, and streaming industry, representing major studios including Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Amazon MGM Studios. It administers the voluntary U.S. film rating system (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) through its Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), conducts global anti-piracy enforcement through the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), and provides content security assessments via the Trusted Partner Network (TPN). The organization primarily advocates for its members' policy, copyright, and trade interests before U.S. and international governments.
Is MPA a public or private company?
MPA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MPA founded?
MPA was founded in 1922.
Where is MPA based?
MPA is headquartered in Sherman Oaks, United States, in the North America region.
How does MPA make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership dues.
Who are MPA's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Copyright Alliance and Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA). Direct peers are Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), IFPI and National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). Others are Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Motion Picture Association of Canada (MPAC) - Note: subsidiary of MPA, separate entity class and Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI).
Does MPA have an API?
No public API is recorded for MPA.
What industry is MPA in?
MPA's product category is Trade Association / Film Industry Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADALAK, Anti-Piracy, Content Protection & Enforcement, with a secondary code of MPAHAMAK, Security Testing & Compliance (Pen Testing, Studio/TPN/MPA Readiness). Its NAICS code is 51212 and its SIC code is 7829.