Picture Credit: DreamWorks Television
A little while ago, we covered the massive news that Netflix had finally untangled its licensing web with Sony Pictures, unlocking a huge chunk of movies for subscribers on the “Standard with Ads” tier. Well, ad-tier subscribers, the good news just keeps on rolling in.
We’ve noticed another massive domino has fallen. After being locked behind the premium paywall since the ad tier launched in late 2022, nearly the entire DreamWorks Animation Television library is now fully streamable with ads in the US and other regions.
If you’ve been following our coverage of the ad-tier lockouts, you’ll know that the DreamWorks lineup was one of the most frustrating omissions for parents. It always felt a bit bizarre. After all, these shows carry the big red “Netflix Original” badge, so why wouldn’t Netflix be able to show them?
As we’ve explained before, it all comes down to legacy contracts. Long before Netflix launched its ad-tier, it signed exclusive global streaming deals with DreamWorks. Because “ad-supported streaming” wasn’t explicitly written into those old contracts, DreamWorks (and its parent company, NBCUniversal) had to formally sign off on letting Netflix run ads against their content. It looks like that ink has finally dried.
Here is the full list of DreamWorks TV titles that have officially been freed from the ad-tier padlock:
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2019) – 2 Seasons
- Dragons: Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon (2020) – Special
- Dragons: Rescue Riders: Huttsgalor Holiday (2020) – Special
- Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing (2020) – Special
- Fast & Furious Spy Racers (2021) – 6 Seasons
- Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020) – 3 Seasons
- Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2023) – 3 Seasons
- Rhyme Time Town (2021) – 2 Seasons
- Rhyme Time Town Singalongs (2020) – 1 Season
- Team Zenko Go (2022) – 2 Seasons
- The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024) – Special
- The Bad Guys: The Series (2026) – 1 Season
- The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib (2023) – 2 Seasons
- The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus (2022) – Special
With these titles now unblocked, the total number of blocked titles in the United States will fall below 50, down from over 300 when the ad-tier first launched.
The One Weird Holdout
Now, notice how we said almost all of the DreamWorks TV shows?
For some inexplicable reason, Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020) – 1 Season remains locked on the ad-tier. We’ve double-checked our data, and while Trollhunters and 3Below are completely free and clear to watch with commercials, the third installment of Guillermo del Toro’s incredible animated universe is still displaying the dreaded padlock icon.
Why? It’s hard to say. It could be a simple backend glitch on Netflix’s part that will be quietly fixed in the coming days, or there might be some strange, ultra-specific co-production rights issue holding it back (Double Dare You Productions is also attached). We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know if it shifts.
The Extra Catch: Enjoy Them While You Can
Before you add all of these to your kids’ watchlists, there’s a big caveat you need to be aware of.
While it’s great that the ad tier can finally watch Kipo and Fast & Furious Spy Racers, these titles are slowly bleeding off of Netflix entirely.
Despite the “Netflix Original” branding, Netflix doesn’t actually own these shows—they simply rented the exclusive global distribution rights for a set period. As we’ve extensively documented, those licensing windows are beginning to expire. Once a show’s final season hits its respective anniversary (often around the 5-year mark, though it varies by contract), the rights revert back to NBCUniversal. We’ve already seen several older DreamWorks shows depart the platform, and the titles listed above are all on the clock.
So, if you’re an ad-tier subscriber who has been waiting to check out Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts or binge the newer Boss Baby series, don’t put it off too long.
What are you most excited to finally watch on the ad tier? Let me know in the comments down below!
