Netflix Pays $100M to Stream ‘Friends’ for Another Year: Report

Netflix reportedly paid WarnerMedia “around $100 million” to continue licensing the wildly popular Friends series, The New York Times reports. According to the Times, the streaming service previously paid only $30 million a year for the rights to stream the show’s 10 seasons. After Friends fans saw a January 2019 expiration date for the beloved sitcom on the show’s Netflix page, many sounded off on social media. Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, told NBC News Monday the series was “not leaving in January,” and called the claim a “rumor” during an investor conference. The service also tweeted to let fans know the series is here to stay for the time being. “Holiday Armadillo has granted your wish,” the tweet read, with a picture of Friends character Ross dressed as an armadillo. Netflix reportedly has 57 million users in the U.S. and 130 million worldwide, which makes the acquisition of hit content a high priority in order to cater to the company’s large user base.