It’s officially the end of an era! Netflix confirmed that Friends would make its departure from the popular streaming service in 2020 — and fans are far from OK with this change.
The streaming giant made the announcement on Tuesday, July 9. “The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye,” Netflix tweeted, referencing the stylization of the NBC series’ episode titles. “We’re sorry to see Friends go to Warner’s streaming service at the beginning of 2020 (in The US). Thanks for the memories, gang.”
The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye.
We’re sorry to see Friends go to Warner’s streaming service at the beginning of 2020 (in The US). Thanks for the memories, gang ☕
— Netflix US (@netflix) July 9, 2019
News of the show’s exit sparked an outcry from fans across social media. One commenter suggested the loss of the acclaimed sitcom, which ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004, is “continuing proof [of] why @hulu is straight dominating you guys.” A second individual joked that this was “The One Where Netflix Loses it’s [sic] Members.” A Friends devotee even threatened to cancel their Netflix membership, tweeting: “I swear to god and everything holy if you get rid of friends and the office you can kiss my $12 a month goodbye. The ball is in your court.”
Another fan shared a GIF of Matthew Perry’s Friends character, Chandler Bing, saying, “I was not ready for this today.” Bachelorette alum Derek Peth, meanwhile, replied to Netflix’s tweet and teased that it is “hopefully … just on a break.” Peth’s tweet was accompanied by a GIF, featuring David Schwimmer as Ross Geller uttering the iconic line “We were on a break!” to Rachel Green, who was played by Jennifer Aniston.
Although Friends will bid adieu to Netflix in the coming months, fans can soon stream it on WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max. The company said in a press release that HBO Max will feature “an impressive direct-to-consumer experience for everyone ranging from families with young children to adults of all ages.”
Friends will join other beloved series’ on HBO Max, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Pretty Little Liars. Reese Witherspoon and Riverdale executive producer Greg Berlanti have also inked movie production deals with the new service, which is slated to debut in the spring of 2020.
HBO Max will additionally feature exclusive movies and shows, including the Anna Kendrick-led romantic comedy series Love Life and a psychological thriller flick with Nicole Kidman, called The Undoing.
Before Netflix announced the sitcom’s 2020 departure on Tuesday, there were rumblings about the possibility of its exit in 2018. However, the company reportedly paid WarnerMedia a whopping $100 million last December to keep the series for an additional year.
Friends is the second most-watched series on Netflix after the Steve Carell-led version of The Office. Aniston, Schwimmer and Perry co-starred alongside Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc in the sitcom, which was nominated for 62 Emmys.
