Yesterday we revealed that Netflix Basic with Ads – the streaming giant's cheapest subscription tier – doesn't work on all devices. Today, it has emerged that Basic with Ads is missing some major titles.
There's no official list yet, but in the US, Arrested Development, Peaky Blinders, New Girl, House of Cards, The Last Kingdom, Good Girls, Friday Night Lights and Queen of the South are just some of the titles that display a padlock icon (via Variety).
It's the same story when it comes to movies. A string of blockbusters are currently 'locked' to US-based subscribers. These include Bond titles Skyfall, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, as well as the likes of 28 Days, Rambo, The Imitation Game, The Hateful Eight, Blue Jasmine, A Monster Calls, Steve Jobs and Vice.
Netflix has previously warned that 5-10% of its catalogue would be unavailable to Basic with Ads users: "[A] limited number of movies and TV shows won’t be available due to licensing restrictions, and we’re going to be working on reducing that over time," Netflix chief operating officer Greg Peters told reporters last month.
Netflix launched its new subscription subsidised tier in the UK, US, Australia and select areas of Asia and Europe at the start of November. The plan provides access to 720p streaming with roughly five minutes of advertising per hour for £4.99 / $6.99 / AU$6.99.
It sounds like a nice price, especially when you consider what Basic with Ads does offer (The Crown, Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, etc). Then again, the tier has its limitations too.
For example, Basic with Ads will not work on Apple TV or older Chromecast devices apart from the latest Chromecast with Google TV streaming dongles. Netflix has also dropped support for the PlayStation 3, Netflix Windows app and any smartphones and tablets running an OS older than iOS 15 or Android 7.
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