Over the weekend, many questions about the show’s future on Netflix arose when customers spotted a notice on the site’s ‘FRIENDS’ page that read ‘Availability Until 1/1/19’
FRIENDS, the much-loved show that ran on NBC for a solid 10 years till 2004, still has many devout fans across the globe who did not take too well to this news. Case in point:
https://twitter.com/_Vardges/status/1069147977715900416
And after much hue and cry, Netflix officially announced that the show will remain on the service with a relatable throw back to the time when Ross dressed up as the holiday armadillo:
The Holiday Armadillo has granted your wish: “Friends” will still be there for you in the US throughout 2019 pic.twitter.com/Yd0VqRzk3r
— Netflix (@netflix) December 3, 2018
Did you know: FRIENDS has topped the list as the most-streamed show in the United Kingdom in 2018 (British communications regulator Ofcom)
Two sources under anonymity, confirmed that Netflix will be paying the owner of the show, WarnerMedia, $100 million to license the program. This is a steep increase from the $30 million Netflix paid for the show last year. The deal to keep FRIENDS on Netflix was due to expire by the end of 2018, however, AT&T (owner of WarnerMedia) and Netflix have been negotiating for the past few months to extend the deal.