Friends – Picture: Warner Bros. Television
Over the past four years, Netflix in some countries has seen the removal of the hit series Friends. It all began with Netflix in the United States losing the show in January 2020, and we’ve slowly seen it trickle off of Netflix elsewhere, too, but also re-licensed in other regions. We’ve just got confirmation that more Netflix countries will lose Friends throughout 2024.
Requiring no introduction, Friends is the beloved television show that has remained popular because of its relatable characters and timeless storytelling. While the show originally aired from 1994 to 2004, it has remained popular through syndication and streaming services, making it easily accessible to new audiences searching out comfort TV.
With the rise of rival streaming services, Netflix has lost a lot of big licensed titles over the years although that has changed in 2023 and 2024. One show that’s been part of Netflix for a while has been Friends, which has become a hot commodity and a key selling point for Warner Bros. Discovery’s own streaming service.
While WBD has been willing to license out other shows (like many of its HBO titles) with David Zazlav saying in 2022 that they’re simply looking to “get paid,” Friends is one that it likes keeping to itself.
Before we dig into the removal dates – we should stress that Netflix licensing is always subject to change. The show could be licensed to more regions this year as far as we know or renewed by Netflix.
Friends has slowly departed from Netflix around the world since 2020
To recap, so far, we’ve seen the show leave Netflix in three waves over the past few years:
- Netflix in the United States was the first and major region to lose Friends. It departed in January 2020.
- Netflix in Canada saw it depart in December 2020.
- It departed multiple international regions (and was renewed in a few others) in January 2022.
Since 2022, Netflix holds the streaming rights to Friends in over 20 regions according to Unogs, but how long will that remain?
Netflix Australia, France, and Belgium losing Freinds on July 1st, 2024
Netflix in Australia, France, and Belgium are the next to lose the show on July 1st, 2024, with your last day to watch is June 30th, 2024, we can report.
The news of Netflix France losing the show coincides with Max launching in the country in June 2024.
Netflix in Other Regions will Lose Friends at the End of 2024
In the United Kingdom, Netflix currently holds the rights to Friends until 2025 (specifically December 31st, 2024), which is coincidentally when Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly looking to launch Max.
This end-of-2024 date also applies to Netflix in India, Italy, Germany, Israel, and other Asian territories.
Of course, the best way to keep up with removals is by keeping an eye on our site, where we report monthly removals every single month via our leaving Netflix soon hub.
