Netflix’s Ad Tier Is Missing Certain Prominent Titles. Will These Titles Ever Appear?

So much has changed in the streaming landscape in recent years. Netflix, in particular, faces far more competition than in previous years, as the rest of the industry has caught up to their lead. Netflix has had a difficult year, to say the least. But the ad-supported tier is now officially available to subscribers for $6.99. Netflix may be the godfather of streaming services. But the platform it helped develop has changed enormously since its beginnings — and the competition is only increasing. Almost every big studio now has a streaming service, such as Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and so on. Most, if not all, of them, have or are about to have ad-supported tiers on their platform.

With so much competition already on the market, it has become increasingly difficult for streamers like Netflix to make money. But if there was ever a good time to add an ad tier, it is now. The holiday season is soon approaching, and Netflix has a terrific schedule to end 2022 with a bang. Enola Holmes 2, The Crown Season 4, Manifest Season 4, Tim Burton’s Wednesday, Warrior Nun Season 2, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Dead to Me Season 3 are among the hot titles subscribers will see by the end of the year.

Netflix’s ad-tier missing several prominent titles

Now, according to Deadline, Netflix’s new tier is missing several prominent titles. These titles seem to appear in the search bar but display a lock icon indicating that the service is unable to play them. This includes Arrested Development and House of Cards, both of which were created when Netflix Originals were part of a licensing deal rather than owned outright by Netflix. Peaky Blinders, The Magicians, The Last Kingdom, The Sinner, Good Girls, and Friday Night Lights, as well as select movies, are also restricted to the ad-supported tier.

Will These Titles Ever Appear on the Netflix Ad-Supported Tier?

When Netflix decided to add an ad-supported tier, they warned subscribers that certain titles would be unavailable due to licensing agreements. They did not, however, specify which titles would be affected by this situation. They also stated that they are “working on” getting those titles onto the new tier.

It appears likely that Netflix will try to get classic originals like House of Cards and the final two seasons of Arrested Development onto the new tier at some point in the future. However, there is no assurance that they will be able to negotiate new deals. Many of the other locked titles, including the popular sitcoms New Girl and The Good Place, are not Netflix Originals at all. Because those shows are held by other networks, some of which have their own exclusive streaming services, they may never agree to allow Netflix to run advertisements on them for the remainder of their present licensing deals.

 Basic with Ads is launching in 12 countries between November 1 to 10. Meanwhile, keep in mind that these programming options will differ by territory. What are your thoughts on this? Will you opt for Netflix’s ad-supported tier? Let us know in the comments down below.