HBO Max Sets a Launch Date So You Can Finally Binge ‘Friends’ Again
And also ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ ‘South Park,’ ‘The West Wing,’ all seasons of ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette,’ ‘Rick & Morty,’ ‘Doctor Who,’ and much, much more.
Great news, Friends fans—we finally know when the beloved NBC sitcom will be available to binge once more. The series disappeared from Netflix this year in preparation for the launch of WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service HBO Max—and on Tuesday the company announced its launch date. The service will launch on May 27, with 10,000 hours of content, for $14.99 per month.
WarnerMedia’s announcement also notes that some HBO Max originals will be available upon launch, while others will roll out incrementally. Originals available at launch will include the scripted Anna Kendrick comedy series Love Life, the ballroom competition series Legendary, and a new batch of Looney Tunes Cartoons. Others, including Ridley Scott’s sci-fi series Raised by Wolves and the Friends reunion special, will debut later on.
HBO Max will also include all HBO originals—rendering HBO Now, which comes at the same price, somewhat redundant. HBO Now subscribers will, however, be able to access HBO Max at launch at no extra cost.
But perhaps the most enticing aspect of HBO Max will be its deep library, which will include titles from CNN, TNT, TBS, DC, truTV, and Cartoon Network, among others. Classic films curated with the help of TCM will also be on the menu.
In other words, get ready to binge not only Friends, but also The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Rick & Morty, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and all seasons of The Bachelor. Offerings available later on following the launch will include South Park, Gossip Girl, and The West Wing. The streamer’s film collection will be 700 deep, and include titles like Crazy Rich Asians, A Star Is Born, Casablanca, When Harry Met Sally, The Lord of the Rings, and the entire Studio Ghibli library—the latter of which will be making its streaming debut on the service. Given how many of us are locked up in our homes indefinitely, this news could not have come at a better time.