Nowadays, Netflix is a titan of modern entertainment, wielding a level of influence that has fundamentally reshaped how global audiences consume film and television. This dominance was not achieved through simple luck; rather, it was the result of a calculated pivot toward original production that began over a decade ago. During the early 2010s, Netflix transitioned from a digital vault for licensed content into a prestige studio capable of rivaling legacy cable networks like HBO. This climb toward the summit of the industry was fueled by a handful of critically acclaimed projects that proved streaming could deliver sophisticated drama. While Stranger Things and Orange Is the New Black became massive cultural touchstones, the true foundation of this empire was House of Cards.
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The success of House of Cards provided the necessary proof of concept for Netflix’s binge-watching model, offering 73 episodes across six seasons of high-stakes political intrigue. The production was a monumental $100 million gamble for the company, representing the first time a streaming service committed to two full seasons of a drama without viewing a pilot. This investment yielded immediate results, as Netflix added three million global subscribers in the first quarter of 2013 alone, while the company’s stock value experienced a 24 percent surge shortly after House of Cards’ premiere. Even when the production faced a seismic shift following the 2017 controversy surrounding its lead actor, the series demonstrated remarkable resilience by pivoting the narrative focus to Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), allowing the story to reach a definitive conclusion in 2018. However, despite this status as the project that legitimized streaming with the first major Emmy win for an online-only program, many subscribers currently find House of Cards inaccessible.
Why Is House of Cards Not Fully Available on Netflix’s Ad-Supported Tier?
The primary obstacle preventing House of Cards from reaching every subscriber involves the complex nature of early streaming distribution contracts. While the series is branded as a Netflix original, the platform does not possess total ownership of the intellectual property. Instead, the production and distribution rights are held by external entities, specifically Media Rights Capital (MRC) and Sony Pictures Television. That’s because, when the series was first commissioned in 2011, the concept of a Netflix ad-supported tier did not exist in the corporate strategy. Consequently, the original licensing agreements were drafted exclusively for a commercial-free environment.
House of Cards‘ licensing bottleneck is not an isolated incident, as several other titles remain blocked for ad-tier subscribers as of early 2026. Still, because House of Cards remains a high-value property with significant long-tail viewership, the cost of securing ad-enabled rights is likely considerable, meaning Netflix would have to pay extra for a series that has already ended years ago. This creates a frustrating experience for viewers who signed up for the budget-friendly plan, as one of the shows that fundamentally defined the service’s identity remains locked behind a paywall. Until a financial middle ground is reached between the streamer and the rights holders, the political machinations of the Underwoods will remain a premium-only experience.
The entire six-season run of House of Cards, starring Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey, is currently available for ad-free subscribers on Netflix.
Do you think Netflix should prioritize securing the rights to its older “Originals” for its ad-supported tier, or is it better for them to focus on entirely new content? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of Prime Video -
Image Courtesy of Netflix
