This isn’t the first time it looked like Friends and Netflix were heading on a break, but it’s now looking like it’s going to be for good.
The streamer has devastated Friends devotees with the news that New Year’s Eve will not only usher in a new year, but also kick off a Friends-free era on the platform.
The sitcom, with its giant coffee cups, never-ending Ross and Rachel courtship and not-so-realistic picture of New York real estate, has been a certifiable hit on Netflix. So much so that when the possibility that the 90s escapism might be leaving reared its head in 2018, fans were apoplectic.
Then, Netflix struck a reported $100million agreement to keep the show on the platform. Now, there might not be such a loophole out.
The show’s Netflix profile has put up an eviction notice, letting subscribers know that Friends will be gone by the penultimate day of the month (November 30).
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So if you’re one of the Friends fanatics now staring down a long, hard 2026 in the laughless wilderness, we’ve got the lowdown on where else in the streaming landscape you can find Ross, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler, played by the late Matthew Perry.
Why is Friends leaving Netflix UK?
In short, we don’t yet know. Metro contacted Netflix to shed some light on the situation, but no word as of yet.
The most likely explanation is that Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that owns Friends, has not renewed its agreement with Netflix because they want to be able to stream the show exclusively on their own platform.
That was the reason Netflix nearly lost Friends in 2018.
It would make sense, since the streamer for Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, is set to launch in the UK (as well as Germany and Italy) in early 2026.
The streamer’s content – think HBO hits like The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, and House of the Dragon – has traditionally gone out via Sky.
But under the Warner Bros. banner, the streamer will also have the rights to shows like Friends and Big Bang Theory, as well as the upcoming Harry Potter adaptation for TV.
What does this all mean for Netflix? There’s still plenty of TV and film to enjoy on there. If anything, TV viewers might have to get used to certain shows heading to other platforms. After all, there’s also a sign on Big Bang Theory notifying fans of its departure on December 30.
The best Friends episodes
5. The One with the Proposal (S6E24/25) Watch for Monica’s tearful proposal, where no comedy is needed.
4. The One with the Embryos (S4E12) Otherwise known as The One with the Quiz, a perfect watch for any pub quizzers. This one’s for the boys, since Chandler and Joey somehow outplay Rachel and Monica.
3. The One Where Everybody Founds Out (S5E14) Chandler and Monica have been sleeping together, but who knows about it? Well, they don’t know that we know they know we know.
2. The One with the Morning After (S3E16) Ever been stuck in a room you can’t escape from because your best friends have been arguing next door about one of them cheating during a supposed ‘break’? Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe have.
1. The One Where No One’s Ready (S3E2) One of the best bottle episodes to do it, the gang are really not ready in time for Ross’ museum event.
Where can Friends be streamed after it leaves Netflix?
Fear not, Friendsaholics! There are other places to stream the show.
For one thing, there’s still a month’s worth of Friends before Netflix bids the show adieu.
For another, we will presumably be able to access all ten seasons on HBO Max when the platform launches in the UK next year.
But in the meantime, if you’re a reliable re-watcher, it might be worth investing in the seasons on Amazon Prime Video to watch in perpetuity. Each box set is available for £14.99, with individual episodes going for £2.49 a piece. Alternatively, the show is available to buy on Apple TV.
In better news, the Friends spin-off show Joey is available to stream completely free over on YouTube and includes eight episodes that never made it to air in the US. Have at it!
Watch Friends on Netflix (for now).
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