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Is Friends leaving Netflix on January 1, 2019? On the show’s “Details” page earlier today, Netflix said that Friends was only available through the end of the year. The apparent news sent fans into a frenzy this morning — but not so fast, says Netflix.
According to an extremely brief statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter by Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, the “departure is a rumor.” Late Monday afternoon, Netflix confirmed Sarandos’ statement via Twitter, saying U.S. users will be able to access Friends “throughout 2019.” The platform has also removed the availability date on the show’s “Details” page, which should ease the minds (and the queues) of many fans desperate to get in a last-minute binge-watch.
Pundits had speculated the show would become available on WarnerMedia’s new streaming platform (the service won’t launch until late 2019, but more on that below).
Before the date was lifted, the internet immediately went off, and many fans began insisting that it was time to cancel their subscriptions. “FRIENDS IS LEAVING NETFLIX??? First One Tree Hill then HIMYM and now THIS that’s subscription CANCELLED,” wrote one user. “2019 is already trash with Friends leaving Netflix,” said another. Calling out Netflix, another user added, “You guys are the worst.”
In October, Warner announced that they will be launching their own streaming platform in late 2019, and many analysts expected Friends — a Warner Bros. TV property — to be among the first series to hit the platform’s back catalogue. “Content like Friends is likely to disappear from Netflix in 2019 as WarnerMedia launches its own SVOD service,” media analyst Rich Greenfield told Deadline in October.
As the outrage suggests, Friends is incredibly popular among Netflix users. According to Deadline and Parrot Analytics, Friends is the third-most popular sitcom in the United States, behind only Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Big Bang Theory. If the show does leave Netflix, the millions of viewers who watch every day will look to another streaming service, like WarnerMedia or Prime Video (you can buy Friends for $2.99/episode or $19.99/season), for their sitcom fix.
If you were one of the Tweeters ready to cancel your Netflix subscription and hop on the WarnerMedia bandwagon, just know that you may have to wait a few months before things get rolling. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said that Warner’s platform will launch in beta form in late 2019, which could mean anything from October to December. When it does launch, it will feature three pricing tiers: an “entry-level movie-focused package,” a “premium service with original programming and blockbuster movies,” and a third that “bundles content from the first two plus an exclusive library of WarnerMedia and licensed content.” AT&T has yet to release any pricing information, but if Friends makes the leap, expect it to be part of the second or third tiers.
Note: This article has been updated to reflect the new information from Sarandos and Netflix’s tweet.
