Time is running out! TV favorites that have long held spots on Netflix’s roster are set to leave in the coming years for new streaming platforms associated with the networks behind the series.
As Disney, Warner Bros., NBC and more try to catch up to the trendy way to view content, Friends, The Office and more shows will be ushered into the folds of Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock and other services.
Fans flipped out in December 2018 when Netflix revealed that Friends would be leaving at the end of the year. The public outcry was so intense that the company reportedly shelled out $100 million to keep the NBC sitcom for one more year.
However, the relief was short-lived. Multiple outlets confirmed in July 2019 that Friends would move to WarnerMedia’s streaming platform, HBO Max, after its launch in spring 2020. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company paid $425 million for a five-year exclusive deal.
“The One Where We Have to Say Goodbye,” Netflix tweeted at the time. “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.”
Meanwhile, WarnerMedia’s Robert Greenblatt said in a statement: “HBO Max will bring together the diverse riches of WarnerMedia to create programming and user experiences not seen before in a streaming platform. HBO’s world-class programming leads the way, the quality of which will be the guiding principle for our new array of Max Originals, our exciting acquisitions, and the very best of the Warner Bros. libraries, starting with the phenomenon that is Friends.”
Subscribers will have slightly longer to relive Steve Carell’s antics on The Office. Netflix confirmed in June 2019 that the series would depart by the end of 2020. “We’re sad that NBC has decided to take The Office back for its own streaming platform — but members can binge watch the show to their hearts’ content ad-free on Netflix until January 2021,” the company wrote via Twitter.
Parks and Recreation, Cheers, The West Wing and Frasier are among the other shows expected to be pulled from Netflix as new platforms launch.
Scroll to see which series fans should watch before it’s too late!