Friends is leaving Netflix UK soon and this is where you can watch it next
You only have a few weeks left to watch Friends on Netflix...
Friends is one of the best shows on Netflix… but not for long, because it’s leaving the UK’s streaming library this month, and it may be hard to stream after it’s removed.
Try as you might to explore all of the films and series Netflix has to offer, sometimes you just want to watch something familiar.
For millions of people, Friends is the ultimate comfort (re)watch. Fans have been streaming it start to finish again, again, and again ever since it was added to the platform.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. As well as the finale of Stranger Things season 5, Friends is leaving Netflix in a matter of weeks – here’s everything you need to know.
When is Friends leaving Netflix?
Friends will be removed from UK Netflix on December 30, 2025.
That’s just 28 days from today (December 2), so now’s the time to revisit your favourite episodes before it becomes a bit more difficult to watch.
It’s safe to say, fans haven’t taken the news well. “Removing friends on December 30… so you want me to go insane? Count your days Netflix,” one user tweeted.
You cannot take friends off Netflix. It is my anti-depressant at night. Every night without fail I watch it @NetflixUK pic.twitter.com/VMkt9MfZyk
— becca ✨watch pluribus (@scullyinspace) December 1, 2025
“You cannot take friends off Netflix. It is my anti-depressant at night. Every night without fail I watch it,” another wrote.
“If you can reconsider and keep it on Netflix, it would mean a lot. Removing it feels like losing a part of me that grew, laughed, and cried with the cast,” a third posted.
Others have even threatened to get rid of their subscription, as Friends is the one show they watch more than anything else.
“How can @netflix be taking friends off in UK? Literally the ONLY thing I go onto Netflix everyday for, I watch it non stop back to back, my absolute comfort show, may as well cancel my subscription,” one user complained.
Why is it being removed from Netflix?
While unconfirmed, it’s believed Friends’ removal from Netflix is linked to the 2026 launch of HBO Max.
In the simplest terms, Friends isn’t a Netflix show: it’s owned by Warner Bros and licensed to the streaming service. That means Warner Bros doesn’t need to renew the show’s deal with Netflix if it doesn’t want to.
However, Friends has slowly been ripped away from Netflix – and HBO Max, Warner Bros’ streaming service, is to blame.
The series was removed from Netflix’s US library in 2020, with the sitcom moving over to HBO Max. Netflix Canada lost Friends soon after, and it was removed from the streamer’s libraries in several international territories in 2022.
The UK has been among the few Netflix catalogues to hold onto Friends. However, HBO Max is finally set to launch over here in early 2026, so it was a matter of time before it was removed.
Where is Friends going after it leaves Netflix?
Unfortunately, Friends won’t be immediately available via any streaming platform after it leaves UK Netflix.
As explained above, it’s expected to return to streaming with the launch of HBO Max.
However, while in the past you could use a VPN to watch it via Netflix in other countries, it isn’t streaming anywhere else (at the time of writing).
So, you’ll either need to wait it out, watch it as it airs on Comedy Central, or buy the DVD or Blu-ray box set. You can also purchase the seasons digitally via Amazon Prime.
Read more: The best films on Netflix you can watch right now
