The day has finally come, Friends fans. It’s the day Central Perk’s most faithful customers have been dreading ever since we learned about HBO Max: New Year’s Day.
When New Year’s Day has rolled around, you’ll cruise on over to Netflix to cue up your favorite Friends episode, and you’ll find that it isn’t there. Why? Well, it’s being removed from the streaming platform. For how long? Presumably forever, as it’s all headed to HBO Max for the foreseeable future.
That means as of Wednesday, January 1, Friends will no longer be available to stream on Netflix, where it’s been a haven for sitcom fans around the world since 2015. What’s more, it won’t be available via streaming platforms for at least another five months, when WarnerMedia’s HBO Max is set to launch in May 2020.
GiphyWhat’s a Friends lover to do? Well, there are options. Neither of them are particularly great, but that’s what we’re left with until the show is finally online once more. The first choice has always been a good fallback for when Netflix is down: buying all 10 seasons on Blu-ray or DVD and just watching the physical media when you’re able to.
Of course, this makes things a bit difficult, considering many of us don’t have access to portable media players like that. It’s also around $135 to bag the complete series via Amazon. But if you must have your Friends now and forever, this is a good long-term solution. Unfortunately, as of right now the set won’t be back in stock until January 7, likely because everyone else already had that idea as well.
Alternatively, if you’re willing to come even more out of pocket, you can opt to purchase the entire series digitally at retailers like Amazon Prime Video or iTunes. There, you’ll find the complete series collection for about $140. Alternatively, you’ll have to spend $1.99 per episode and $19.99 per season. Buying the complete collection list he best way to save some extra cash here, but whether you choose digital or physical media, you’re going to be dropping some serious cash. The upside? You can get back to watching immediately after Wednesday rolls around, no waiting.
So, uh, New Year’s? Could you be any more frustrating for Friends fans? Unlikely. At least there are options.
