What Shows and Movies Are Missing From Netflix's 'Basic with Ads'? Actually, Some Big Ones

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From 'Where the Crawdads Sing' to 'Bullet Train,' a Reelgood audit reveals numerous top 10 shows have been unavailable on Netflix's new ad-subsidized tier in its first couple of months

Where the Crawdads Sing
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix said when it launched its discounted "Basic with Ads" tier back on Nov. 3 that due to still-being-worked-out licensing restrictions, less than 10% of its acquired TV shows and movies would be restricted from the new service offering. 

An audit conducted by Reelgood confirms that only around 6% of the 4,013 acquired movies on Netflix, and only 5% of the 2,342 licensed TV shows in the library are unavailable on the $6.99 ad-subsidized tier. 

Also read: Only 9% of New Netflix Signups Are for 'Basic with Ads'

However, perhaps explaining the sluggish early uptake of Netflix with Ads: Some of the early omissions are notable. 

(Image credit: Reelgood)

For example, the Sony-distributed, Reese Witherspoon-produced adaptation of Delia Owens murder-mystery novel Where the Crawdads Sing was the seventh most popular show in U.S. subscription streaming the week it debuted on Netflix on Nov. 12.

But Crawdads, which grew its audience to become the third most popular SVOD program in the U.S. the following week with 1.09 billion viewing minutes, didn't sing on Basic with Ads, which was restricted from the movie based on licensing terms. 

Also that same week of Nov. 14-20, DreamWorks Animation's toon comedy The Bad Guys was the seventh most popular SVOD movie in the U.S., but was similarly unavailable on Netflix's Basic with Ads tier. 

As Reelgood added, other notable movie omissions on the new tier include Uncharted, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned, Sniper: Rogue Mission and Bullet Train. The latter, an action-thriller starring Brad Pitt, has ranked in the top 5 for English-language films on Netflix for the past three weeks. 

Meanwhile, among licensed TV series, notable Basic with Ads omissions include The Walking Dead, Peaky Blinders, The Last King, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl and The Sinner.

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!