The 10 seasons of Friends have been rewatched by many of us so many times, and the American TV series is sort of the TV version of comfort food. And with the rise of Netflix, it’s become even easier to head back after work, sit back, and pop on any one of the 236 episodes of Friends.
However, the sad news is that Friends will not be available on Netflix for much longer. Users in the U.S. have reported that the show will only be available until the 1st of January 2020. Netflix also tweeted a farewell a couple of months ago, and it looks like they’re every bit as sorry as we are that we won’t be able to catch Joey and his signature catchphrase on Netflix anymore.
Not available to stream anywhere for 6 months
This has been coming for awhile. More and more distributors like Disney Plus and HBO have been developing their own answers to Netflix’s grip on the streaming market, and Friends will premiere on HBO Max in May 2020.
This means that there will be a 5 month gap where you won’t be able to stream the show online—unless you opt to purchase physical copies or download the series off iTunes or other distributors.
It’s certainly disappointing, and is part of a wider issue that dilutes the appeal of popular streaming platforms like Netflix. Many flocked to these platforms with the idea that movies and TV series from different companies would be available on a single platform—and at a reasonably affordable price.
Most of the Star Wars movies (depending on your region) have already left Netflix, and it looks like more movies and TV series will follow suit. But it seems like Netflix has been preparing for this for awhile now, with the company producing more and more originals.
Their expansion into original content has been pretty aggressive, too. Klaus, their Christmas themed origins story for… well, Santa Klaus, has been received well, and is also their first original animated story.
For what it’s worth, while users in the U.S. have reported the availability date of Netflix ending on the 1st of January 2020, there isn’t any notice of the sort on the Netflix app in Malaysia. And with availability usually varying based on regions, it’s plausible that Friends could continue to be available on Netflix for the Malaysian audience.
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