For all the talk of Netflix being able to survive mostly on the strength of its original content, there was certainly a significant amount of uproar yesterday when it looked likeFriendswasleaving the streaming service’s library. A notification popped up for users over the weekend that revealed that the beloved NBC sitcom would be expiring from Netflix on August 13, 2025. This wasn’t entirely out of the blue—WarnerMedia intends to launchits own streaming serviceat the end of 2019, and most assumed that Warner Bros TV-ownedFriendswould be a major part of that service at launch. But fans were still mighty unhappy.
Thankfully, Netflix came out and assured folks thatFriendswill remain on Netflix throughout 2019, with CCOTed Sarandosgoing so far as to say thatFriendsleaving Netflix was simply “a rumor.” Well we now have some more clarity on what, exactly, is going on, and how long you can expectFriendsto be there for you.
The folks over at theWall Street Journalreport that WarnerMedia has reached an agreement to keepFriendson Netflix throughout 2019, but the particulars of the deal allow WarnerMedia toalsoput the show on its impending streaming service. Indeed, while Netflix’s renewal of the license allows them to keepFriendsin their library at least through the end of 2019, exclusivity is not guaranteed for the length of the deal. After 2019, WarnerMedia has an option to putFriendson its own streaming service either exclusively or in a shared deal with Netflix—meaningFriendsmight be available on two streaming services at once.
Details on WarnerMedia’s streaming service are scant at the moment, but we do know that they intend to offer three tiers: One service will focus on just movies, another on original programming and more films, and a third will include movies, original programming, and classic films and children’s programming—this third tier is essentially where WarnerMedia is putting the movies it had previously made availableon FilmStruck(RIP).
SoFriendsfans can rest easy. The show will now remain on Netflix through the end of 2019, at which point it will either move over to WarnerMedia and leave Netflix entirely, or it will be made available on both WarnerMedia’s streaming service and Netflix at the same time. But as far as January goes, Netflix andFriendswill not be on a break.
