Netflix UK Won’t be Removing ‘Friends’ Anytime Soon

“I’ll be there for you,” fans in the UK can sleep easy tonight knowing that Friends will NOT be leaving Netflix UK! We'll tell you.

As multiple news outlets reported that Friends was leaving Netflix, subscribers have experienced a meltdown. The news outlets have failed to mention that licensing laws vary between regions. While it is highly likely that Friends in the US will eventually leave due to the eventual release of Warner’s streaming service, this won’t apply to the UK just yet.

Rampant supporters have been tweeting Netflix throughout the day in an attempt to gain clarity about Friends' future. Thankfully, we are able to report that Netflix UK & Ireland has confirmed that Friends will not be returning.

Why isn’t Friends leaving Netflix UK?

Licensing is the key, as we have briefly mentioned above. Netflix UK has the exclusive license to stream Friends only in the UK. While the show is available on Comedy Central you can’t stream it from the network. Netflix has the habit of renewing licenses for shows on a yearly basis, therefore, we can expect Friends to be around for of least the foreseeable future!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCExxOsqQ9Q

How about the US?

We have written recently about Friends' status on Netflix US. We have yet to find any evidence to support Friends' departure on January 1, so we will give you a quick overview. You can check the details for the show by logging in next time. If it's scheduled to go away within the month, then you will see a date. This could be changed rapidly at any time, but the show has not yet been listed as being leaving.

To clarify, Friends could leave Netflix US in the very near future. The renewal for Friends is coming up but if Warner goes ahead with their plans to release its streaming service in 2019 then we’ll have to say goodbye to our beloved Friends in the US.

Do you feel happy Friends will be available on Netflix UK? Comment below to let us know your thoughts!