Study: Dozens of popular films not on any streamer
March 18, 2026
Research has revealed that 100 of the biggest films of all time are not available to stream in the UK.
The study, by SEO agency Dark Horse, analysed 371 major films – the 191 movies nominated for Best Picture Oscar between 2000 and 2025, plus the top 180 grossing films worldwide of all time – to find how many can be watched on a streaming service such as Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video in the UK.
The analysis reveals that while streaming dominates how Brits watch films today, more than a quarter of the titles remain unavailable to stream and require further payment to rent or buy. In total, 100 of the 371 films (27 per cent) were not on any of the streaming platforms, which included both paid for services like Paramount+ and Apple TV, and free options like BBC iPlayer and ITVX. That leaves the remaining 271 films, nearly three-quarters (73 per cent), available to be streamed on at least one platform.
When it comes specifically to the Academy Awards’ biggest category, 66 per cent (109 films) of Best Picture nominees are available to stream, leaving 34 per cent (57 films) unavailable. Best Picture winners fare slightly better, with 72 per cent (18 films out of 25) available to stream. However, more than a quarter of past winners still cannot be accessed via streaming services.
The Oscar-winning titles currently unavailable to stream are:
- Oppenheimer
- Slumdog Millionaire
- The Departed
- 12 Years a Slave
- The Artist
- Moonlight
- The Hurt Locker
The most commercially successful films are the most likely to be available. Among the top 200 highest-grossing films of all time that weren’t nominated for an Oscar, 80 per cent (144 films) can be streamed. Major films without a UK streaming home when the analysis was conducted (march 10th 2026) include Barbie, Skyfall, Top Gun: Maverick, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Super Mario Bros Movie and Joker.
Libby Mayfield, Head of Marketing at Dark Horse, commented: “The promise of streaming was the convenience of being able to watch any film, any time. However the reality is that there are dozens of major films that you’ll need to pay extra to rent or buy. If someone subscribes to UK’s three largest streaming services – Netflix, Disney+ and [Prime Video] – at the most basic monthly cost, they are paying £20.97 per month, and would only be able to watch 183 of the 371 films that we analysed, which equates to just over half. ”
“Even if they subscribed to all the streaming services like Paramount Plus, Now TV Cinema and MUBI, they would be paying in excess of £70 a month, and still miss out on a quarter of the most successful films ever. And that cost is only set to increase next month as HBO Max launches in the UK. The number of films available on UK streamers will fluctuate each month as rights agreements change, and there is plenty more than just movies on them, but the fact remains that film fans are missing out, even if they are paying hundreds of pounds a year in subscriptions,” Mayfield added.
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