Why is Friends Not on Netflix? Why Was Friends Removed From Netflix? Where to Watch Friends?
by Ayisha
Updated Oct 24, 2023
Why is Friends Not on Netflix?
Friends is no longer on Netflix due to a change in licensing. In 2019, Warner Bros, the company behind Friends, decided to take the show back and use it on their own streaming service, HBO Max. So, Friends left Netflix in the US at the start of 2020. While it might be disappointing for fans, you can still watch it on HBO Max or other streaming platforms in some regions. The situation varies around the world because different countries have different streaming rights agreements. For instance, in the UK and Ireland, Friends remained on Netflix even after it left Netflix in the US.
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Why Was Friends Removed From Netflix?
Friends was removed from Netflix because of a change in licensing. The rights to stream the show were owned by Warner Bros, and they decided to bring Friends back to use on their own streaming service, HBO Max. This meant that Friends had to leave Netflix in the US at the beginning of 2020.
Warner Bros wanted to use the popular show to attract viewers to HBO Max, their new streaming platform. The situation differs from country to country, as various regions have different streaming rights agreements. In some places, like the UK and Ireland, Friends stayed on Netflix even after it left Netflix in the US. The availability of Friends on Netflix or other platforms depends on where you are located and the specific streaming rights agreements in your region.
Where to Watch Friends?
You can watch Friends in various ways depending on your location. In the U.K. and Australia, all 10 seasons of Friends are available on Netflix. If you're in the U.S., you can find Friends on Max, along with the Friends Reunion. However, please note that Netflix U.S. stopped streaming Friends in early 2022.
If you're outside these countries and want to access Friends, you can use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions. A VPN allows you to connect to a server in the respective country, granting you access to the show on streaming platforms like Netflix or Max, even if you're not physically in that location.
Friends Series Netflix
Friends was available on Netflix for a period, but it left the streaming platform. The show was removed from Netflix in the U.S. in January 2020, and subsequently in various other regions, due to changes in licensing agreements. The rights to stream "Friends" were acquired by Warner Bros, who intended to use the show as a centerpiece for their own streaming service, HBO Max.
Although it left Netflix, "Friends" remains accessible on various platforms around the world, including HBO Max, which became its primary streaming home in the United States. The availability of "Friends" on Netflix may vary by country, as different regions have distinct streaming rights agreements. Some countries like the U.K. and Ireland continued to have access to "Friends" on Netflix even after it departed from Netflix in the U.S.
Friends Cast
Actor
Character
Jennifer Aniston
Rachel Green
Courteney Cox
Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow
Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc
Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry
Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer
Ross Geller
James Michael Tyler
Gunther
Why is Friends Not on Netflix? - FAQs
"Friends" left Netflix due to a change in licensing when Warner Bros decided to use it on their streaming service, HBO Max, in 2020.
The show was removed from Netflix because Warner Bros wanted to attract viewers to HBO Max and brought "Friends" back for their streaming service.
Yes, in regions like the UK and Ireland, "Friends" remained available on Netflix even after it left Netflix in the US.
In the US, you can watch "Friends" on HBO Max, along with the Friends Reunion.