Netflix Is Shelling Out $100 Million To Keep “Friends”

Everyone can rejoice that our favorite way to combat a hangover and Sunday scaries is preserved for another year. Peoples were getting antsy earlier this week when Friends episodes on Netflix came with a side of fine print that said they were going to be on a break (see what I did there?) come the new year. Friends was going to go away, but it’s been revealed that Netflix is paying a staggering sum to keep those reruns available for at least another year, so I’m sure we should get ready for the monthly bill to go right on up.

The New York Times says Netflix will pay $100 million to keep the streaming rights, a hefty uptick from its current $30 million annual bill. They say that’s because the studio, WarnerMedia, recognizes the future is in streaming and that most of us have forgot where in our mom’s attic we left the boxed set of DVDs for the whole series. Netflix likely figures it has to shell out to keep us banshees happy because there are only so many times we can watch The Christmas Prince…or is there?

Given how much Netflix pays to film expensive series like The Crown and now to keep Friends, I’m beginning to wonder how long the network can afford to be such a generou$ daddy. Apparently, the high price tag is likely only for this coming year, as Friends is expected to run on other streaming services and no longer be exclusive to Netflix. Anyway, people started to lose their shit over a potential Friends departure, and Netflix had fun with how it announced it was saved:

i would never hurt you, Hayley https://t.co/IO4hK17liq

— Netflix US (@netflix) December 3, 2018

I mean, I would have preferred Netflix sing a few bars of “Smelly Cat,” but I guess Holiday Armadillo will have to do.

Pic: Wenn.com