Why US Netflix Customers Can't Watch One of Its Biggest Shows

02/09/2022 12:16 am EST

One of the most popular shows on Netflix is not available to subscribers in the U.S. due to a unique distribution rights deal. Here in the U.S., fans can watch the DC Comics adaptation Titans on HBO Max, but in most other countries it can be found on Netflix. Even without Americans watching, Titans made its way onto Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Shows list when a new season dropped last month.

For Americans, Titans premieres on HBO Max — which makes sense, as its parent company WarnerMedia also owns DC Comics. In fact, here in the U.S., most DC adaptations are available on HBO Max and the streamer even has a dedicated DC superhero hub. That's not the case overseas, however. Titans Season 3 aired week-to-week on HBO Max in the U.S., then dropped all at once on Netflix in January of 2022 around the world. It became a huge hit in South America, Central America, Europe, the U.K., Africa, Asia and Australia.

It's no surprise that Titans is dominating Netflix so decisively – here in the United States, it has been similarly popular on HBO Max. It helps that the series is instantly familiar to most TV viewers whether or not they're familiar with DC Comics, since two iterations of the Teen Titans have made successful animated TV shows in recent years.

Titans is a more grown-up, gritty take on those same characters and storylines. It begins with some of the lead heroes re-establishing the "Titans" team without the "Teen" qualifier, and setting out to prove that they can accomplish more together. The lineup shifts at times but it includes Robin (Brenton Thwaites) – known here as Nightwing — as well as Starfire (Anna Diop), Raven (Teagan Croft) and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter).

Titans premiered in 2018 on the DC Universe streaming app, which was absorbed into HBO Max after Season 2 premiered in 2019. The third season was the first to premiere exclusively on HBO Max, so some fans may be surprised to see that WarnerMedia licensed it to Netflix overseas.

The series' winning streak is not slowing down any time soon. In October, producers announced that it has been picked up for a fourth season at the annual DC FanDome virtual event. There's no word on when that might premiere, but in the meantime, Titans Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming now on HBO Max in the U.S.

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