Don’t blame Netflix for Friends leaving

Friends, one of the most popular shows of all time, is leaving Netflix in January 2020, but don’t blame Netflix for this happening.

Friends is officially leaving Netflix on Jan. 1, 2020. You only have a few weeks left to watch one of the most popular shows on the streaming service.

We’ve known this exit would happen for a while now, but as it happens with such things, many fans are just learning about Friends leaving Netflix. Accordingly, many fans are voicing their displeasure at Netflix about the departure. Unfortunately, that anger and disappointment is misdirected.

Netflix did everything they could, basically, to keep the series on the streaming service for the longterm. Way back in 2015, Friends was added to Netflix, and the streaming network, at the time, had the rights to the series for four years. In 2019, Friends was scheduled to leave Netflix, and after fan uproar, Netflix was able to lock in the rights to the series for another year.

Netflix had been planning to make a deal for the rights to the series all along. Under the fan pressure, Netflix was able to make a deal with Warner Bros. TV for another year of Friends, but it was at a tremendous cost to the tune of $80-100 million for the year, according to Vox.

After that, it was clear that Friends would leave Netflix, and that’s because WarnerMedia, which owns Warner Bros. TV, is starting their own streaming service, HBO Max, and they want this series to help attract subscribers. WarnerMedia paid $425 million for the rights to the series and to stream the show on HB0 Max, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

HBO Max launches in the spring of 2020, and the series will be on the streaming service when it launches. HBO Max is even trying to get a reunion special for this series going! Of course, they were going to bring the series home.

As you can see, Netflix was simply cut out of the deal. If you blame Netflix for anything, it should be for showing all these studios and media conglomerates that it pays to keep control of their content. Netflix paved the way in the streaming industry, and now, there are copycats all over the place.

Obviously, it’s still a bummer that this series is leaving Netflix. It’s one of the most popular shows of all time. Very soon, you’ll have to buy all the episodes on DVD or subscribe to HBO Max.

It will be really interesting to see what happens next. Obviously, this series is something people watch on Netflix, but it’s unclear if people watch Friends on Netflix because it’s on Netflix and everyone has a Netflix subscription or if people subscribe to Netflix because the streaming service has this great series. The answer to that question will likely be answered after the series leaves Netflix.

The hit comedy leaves Netflix on Jan. 1. Spread the word and make sure your fellow Friends fans watch the series before it leaves!