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YouTube, TikTok, and Meta's Instagram and Facebook have all refused to run ads for the documentary, joining X in rejecting the trailer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While X's rejection is unsurprising, as Elon Musk has publicly attacked the project, calling it a "hit piece," the other snubs have blindsided the distributor, leaving the studio scrambling internally to figure out why the ads were turned down.
"Political content" was cited as the reason for the rejection by YouTube, TikTok and Meta, according to the report. TikTok and Meta both prohibit campaign and political advertising by policy, but the Musk trailer doesn't appear to fall into that category.
It includes only a brief shot of a 2024 political rally and a reference to the 2024 U.S. presidential election at its close, imagery common across documentaries and not meant to promote any candidate.
Bleecker Street has appealed the rejections with all three platforms.
Meta has already denied the appeal, while TikTok and YouTube are still reviewing their petitions. X hasn't just rejected the Musk ad; it has declined to engage with Bleecker Street on the matter at all and won't accept advertising for any of the distributor's other upcoming releases either.
A Bleecker Street representative confirmed the initial rejections and said the company is still hopeful of reversing course with the three platforms outside of X.
The documentary "Musk," directed by Alex Gibney, is billed as a definitive and unvarnished examination of the tech billionaire, tracing his rise from Tesla and SpaceX to his growing political influence.
The 235-minute film premiered at Venice on Sept. 8 and hits U.S. theaters via Bleecker Street on Oct. 9, ahead of a longer HBO version in 2027.
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