Social networks refuse to broadcast paid advertisements for the documentary “Musk”

MuskAlex Gibney’s four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, hits theaters in two weeks and received rave reviews upon its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Yet distributor Bleecker Street cannot buy ads on major social media platforms to promote it.

According to The Hollywood ReporterYouTube, TikTok and Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, all refused to release the trailer for Musk. The same goes for X, which is owned by Musk and reportedly won’t accept publicity for other upcoming Bleecker Street releases.

YouTube, TikTok and Meta told Bleecker Street representatives that they rejected the trailer due to its “political content.” TikTok and Meta do not allow paid political and campaign ads, with Meta’s rules stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. YouTube does this, with ads requiring “paid” disclosures. THE Musk the trailer contains references to the 2024 elections, but it is not a political campaign per se.

Bleecker Street appealed YouTube, TikTok and Meta’s decision. While YouTube and TikTok are still considering the request, Meta has flatly rejected it.

This is not the first bump in the road for Musk. Universal Pictures, which distributes the film internationally, was reportedly scared when it was released. Musk. Evan Langweiler, Universal’s executive vice president of global communications and media relations, has since said The Hollywood Reporter that “the studio remains committed to releasing (Musk) in theaters around the world.

The incident recalls the abandonment by Amazon MGM Studios of the film OpenAI by Luca Guadagnino and Sam Altman Artificialanother fall release that appears to take on a prominent tech figure. Aaron Sorkin’s The social balance sheetalso released this fall, will follow a similar path with Mark Zuckerberg.

Musk hits theaters on October 9.