Brazilians revolt after Netflix bars part of the catalog on the cheapest plan

Imagine opening to Netflixclick on that movie you were saving, and find a red padlock in the place of the image. This is exactly what is happening to subscribers of the platform’s cheapest plan, Standard with Ads, which costs R$20.90 per month. Netflix began blocking specific series and films, with the direct message: “not available on ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions.”

Among the titles that disappeared from the grid are House of Cards, Anaconda, Whiplash, If Fu Panda e Venom: The Last Round. The change surprised even those who were already accustomed to the limitations of the cheapest plan. After all, since the launch of this modality in Brazil, in 2022, Netflix has always warned that “a limited number of titles” would not be available due to licensing issues, but it had never been so explicit.

What actually changed

Until a few days ago, anyone who subscribed to the plan with advertisements had access to the complete catalogue, within what the platform offered in Brazil. Now, the company has started to apply direct restrictions on specific titles, forcing anyone who wants to see these productions to upgrade (pay more).

Netflix itself classifies this as “licensing restrictions”, but did not detail which contracts are behind this decision. The timing, however, draws attention: the company is closing the purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max for around $82.7 billion, which includes franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and the DC universe. Coincidence or not, blocking content on cheap plans could be a commercial repositioning move in light of this new phase.

How much does it cost to get out of lockdown?

To unlock the full catalog, the subscriber needs to migrate to the ad-free Standard plan, which costs R$44.90 — a difference of R$24 per month. If you prefer the best image quality, the Premium costs R$59.90 and offers 4K resolution.​

Reaction on networks and silence from the company

Brazilian users went to X and Reclame aqui to express their anger at the blockade.

This is a shame @NetflixBrasilit is no longer enough, having to support advertisements for a service that we already pay for, now you restrict films and series to more expensive plans, forcing the customer to pay more if they want to watch!

Hello #Proconlet’s work a little! pic.twitter.com/It1wwUOq98

— Nerdão Geek ® (@NerdaoGeek) December 18, 2025

“This is a shame @NetflixBrasil It’s no longer enough, having to support ads for a service that we already pay for, now you restrict films and series to more expensive plans, forcing customers to pay more if they want to watch!

So far, Netflix has not publicly commented on the measure.