‘Friends’: How to Watch the Sitcom After Netflix Loses It on New Year’s Day

As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, Friends officially left Netflix, marking a gloomy start to a new year for loyal fans of the beloved ’90s sitcom. With the series no longer available for streaming on the streaming giant, many fans are clamoring for ways to get their next binge. So where can you watch Friends now?

Unfortunately, fitting that next binge in will not be an easy task, nor will it be penniless. Currently, the series is not available for streaming on any other streaming platforms like Disney+ or Hulu, meaning that viewing hopefuls will have to seek alternative and more costly routes.

To watch the series, fans can purchase it on DVD and Blu-Ray, including the anniversary box set which currently retails for $133.70 (DVD) and $117.79 (Blu-Ray) on Amazon. The series can also be purchased or rented through digital retailers like Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.

The series is also a staple on some TV channels, including TBS and Nickelodeon’s Nick at Nite programming block. Both DirecTV and Sling also allow viewers to stream episodes after reruns have aired, and fans can always record episodes to keep them for good.

Additionally, come May 2020, all 236 episodes of Friends will find a home on WarnerMedia Entertainment’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max. The new streamer, which does not yet have an exact launch date, will cost $14.99 per month and feature content from HBO with a slate of originals and programming from Warner Bros., New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth and Looney Tunes.

The wait may be worth it, too, because rumors are floating that the new streaming service, the latest to join the growing streaming wars, is eyeing a Friends reunion special to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. According to sources, all six of the show’s stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow — are interested, though there is no word if it’s a done deal.

Friends ran from 1994 to 2004. The show became a hit during its original airing but has seen its star continue to grow over the past few years as new generations have fallen in love with the show.

Prior to 2020, it had been a staple on Netflix, where is consistently ranked among the most popular series on the platform. The streamer had dropped a reported $100 million to keep the series through 2019, though its luck ran out at the start of 2020. The series is still available for streaming on Netflix UK.