Picture Credit: MRC
When Netflix first launched its ad-supported tier in late 2022, subscribers quickly discovered a catch: a noticeable chunk of the platform’s library was locked behind a digital padlock. Due to legacy licensing agreements forged long before commercial breaks were ever a consideration for the streaming giant, Netflix had to scramble to renegotiate rights with major studios to include their content on the “Standard with Ads” plan.
For a long time, Sony Pictures was one of the biggest roadblocks. However, following a recent breakthrough, Netflix has officially unlocked Sony Pictures movies for its ad-tier subscribers.
With Sony finally on board, the number of unavailable titles has plummeted. Today, only 0.74% of Netflix’s entire library remains blocked for ad-tier users (60 titles out of 8,107). That’s in the United States; elsewhere, the number is even lower (even when the library is bigger), with only 0.41% of titles blocked on Netflix UK’s library, for example.
That’s significant progress given that when Netflix’s ad-tier launched in 2022, 5.1% of Netflix’s library was blocked (326 out of the 6,324 available). That had dropped to 2% by the end of 2024 and 1.85% by the start of 2026. Many titles have just left the library that were blocked, while rights for some titles were quietly renegotiated. A good example of that is Peaky Blinders, which quietly became available on the ad-tier sometime in 2025.
Just before this deal came into effect, 140 titles were blocked, meaning the new Sony deal, originally expected to kick in 2027, lifted the padlock on 80 movies.
But if Sony is no longer the bottleneck, who is? Looking at the final ~60 titles still restricted on the ad-supported plan, a clear pattern emerges. Even titles bearing the famous red “Netflix Original” [N] badge aren’t totally safe, as third-party production companies ultimately hold the keys.
Here is a breakdown of the last major holdouts keeping that 0.74% locked away.
1. DreamWorks Animation Television
Surprisingly, the largest single chunk of locked titles belongs to DreamWorks Animation Television. Despite Netflix serving as the exclusive global home for these “Netflix Original” series, the underlying streaming rights for ad-supported tiers clearly haven’t been ironed out yet. This category also has the same parent company as the next company we’ll cover on this list…
Example Titles: The Boss Baby series (Back in the Crib, Christmas Bonus), The Bad Guys series and specials, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, Tales of Arcadia (3Below, Wizards), Fast & Furious Spy Racers, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Dragons: Rescue Riders (various specials), Rhyme Time Town, and Team Zenko Go.
2. NBCUniversal (UCP) & Telemundo
A handful of gripping dramas and telenovelas produced under the NBCUniversal umbrella (including UCP and Telemundo Studios) are still holding out. Interestingly while Comcast’s TV titles are still blocked, all their movie output from Universal has never been blocked.
Example Titles: Queen of the South (leaving the library imminently), Dirty John, Diary of a Gigolo, and El marginal.
3. AMC Studios
Picture Credit: AMC
AMC has recently partnered with Netflix to bring a massive wave of its programming to the streamer. While some are available on Netflix’s ad tier some others are not. Interestingly, The Walking Dead was once part of the blocked list, but that’s no longer the case.
Example Titles: TURN: Washington’s Spies, 61st Street, Dispatches From Elsewhere, Moonhaven, Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, and the Sundance Channel’s The Red Road.
4. The Weinstein Company (Legacy Titles)
Rights negotiations can be a legal nightmare when the original distributor goes bankrupt, and its assets are scattered. Several titles produced or distributed by the now-defunct Weinstein Company remain completely unavailable to ad-tier users.
Example Titles: Lion, The Founder, Tulip Fever, Hands of Stone, and Time: The Kalief Browder Story.
5. Media Rights Capital (MRC) & Netflix’s First Flagship Full Original
Perhaps the most ironic title on the blocked list is the one that put Netflix Originals on the map: House of Cards. Because the series was produced and is ultimately owned by MRC (Media Rights Capital) under a contract signed over a decade ago, Netflix doesn’t have the blanket authority to run ads against it without MRC’s sign-off.
6. Independent Distributors & One-Off Holdouts
Picture Credit: Voltage Pictures / Wild Bunch
The rest of the blocked list is a hodgepodge of critically acclaimed indies, foreign films, and smaller studio releases. Without a broad, overarching studio deal to wipe these out in one fell swoop (like the Sony deal did), Netflix has to negotiate these on a grueling case-by-case basis.
Notable Titles:
- Boyhood (IFC Productions)
- Frances Ha (Scott Rudin Productions / RT Features)
- Blue Is the Warmest Color (Wild Bunch)
- Wind River (Voltage Pictures / Wild Bunch)
- Clown and Viral (Dimension Films)
The Bottom Line
If you are on Netflix’s ad-supported plan, the recent Sony Pictures deal is a massive victory. While missing out on House of Cards, a few beloved indie darlings, and a swath of DreamWorks kids’ shows might be a minor annoyance for some, the ad-tier now offers 99.26% parity with the Premium, ad-free experience.
We’ll update our list of the full 60 titles still blocked on the ad tier tomorrow and keep it updated as long as any titles remain blocked.
Rating: TV-MA
