What Happened to ‘Friends’ on Netflix?

Sorry if you were hoping to binge a season of “Friends” New Years Day, but the show is no longer on Netflix. The last chance to watch episodes, at least in the US, ended at midnight on Dec. 31, 2019.

Unfortunately, “Friends” won’t be available to stream in the US until the launch of HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s upcoming service scheduled to premiere in May 2020. The company acquired “Friends” in a deal estimated at about $425 million.

HBO Max will cost $14.99 per month (yet another streaming service to subscribe to) but will launch with other hit shows such as “Game of Thrones,” “Big Little Lies,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

As for now, the only way to watch “Friends” is through traditional broadcast television, on Blu-ray/DVD, or purchased through a service like Apple TV or Prime Video. On broadcast TV, “Friends” can be found on TBS or Nickelodeon.

Netflix subscribers can still watch episodes of “The Office” though. The streaming rights still belong to Netflix until Jan. 2021, after which time the show will end up on NBCUniversal’s Peacock.