The streaming service war is well and truly on with production houses pulling their shows from services such as Netflix. The launch of new streaming services means that several shows and films will be leaving Netflix. Friends is one of the shows confirmed to be leaving Netflix.
Fans of this timeless comedy hit are devastated by the news. Keep reading to find out why Friends is leaving Netflix, and where you can watch it after it leaves.
Why is Friends leaving Netflix?
It has long been known that Friends would leave Netflix, but it wasn’t until recently that it was announced that it would leave on 1st January 2020. Friends was initially supposed to leave Netflix on 1st January 2019, but the contract was renewed for an extra year.
The reason for the departure is that Warner Bros. wants to have Friends exclusively on its new service HBO Max. This move by Warner will eventually affect all films and shows under the WarnerMedia group. Shows like The West Wing and all CW shows will eventually leave Netflix for HBO Max.
At the moment, Friends will only be leaving Netflix US. The title will remain on Netflix in Canada and in the UK. Netflix US announced via a tweet on 9th July 2019;
“Were sorry to see Friends go to Warner’s streaming service at the beginning of 2020 (in The US). Thanks for the memories, gang.”
Where will Friends be available after leaving Netflix?
As previously stated, Friends will be leaving Netflix to feature on HBO Max. HBO Max will launch in spring of 2020, and so, Friends won’t be available for streaming for several months after its removal from Netflix.
This long wait has made fans wonder whether Netflix will seek a contract extension until HBO Max’s launch. Unfortunately, there has been no news of a contract extension. This is the end of Friends on Netflix for the foreseeable future.