In 2015, streaming conglomerate Netflix purchased the beloved NBC sitcom ‘Friends’ (1994-2004) for a moderate $30 million. Four years later, the service was forced to pay a further $80-$100 million just to keep the show running through to the end of 2019. However, whilst ‘Friends’ is still available to us UK viewers, the show actually got removed from Netflix US after WarnerMedia (owner of HBO) outbid them from streaming rights for an eye-watering $500 million. Luckily, ‘Friends’ remains at the fingertips of all Netflix UK audiences and, although being 30 years old, it still tops the charts as one of the UK’S most popular subscription streaming show. (Ofcom, 2018)

Before the acquisition, ‘Friends’ had been one of the cornerstones of cable television. The move of such a popular show to Netflix was part of a broader trend of streaming services taking ownership of major TV franchises that were previously tied to traditional networks. This shift highlighted how streaming was beginning to change the way people consumed television, making it more accessible, flexible, and user-centric. Due to it’s setting and subject matter, ‘Friends’ also provides viewers, of any age and gender, a sense of comfort and nostalgia, exacerbating it’s unique “binge-ability”. Mareike Jenner references ‘Arrested Development’ (2003-2019) as a model for a new era of media consumption, noting the role Netflix had in it’s revival. ‘Netflix, thus, builds on […] the blurring of lines between production, distribution and exhibition may only be a logical consequence of a marketplace that panders to consumers who link consumer habits and identity construction’ (Jenner, 2017) The latter part of this statement relates back to the idea that certain shows (like ’Friends’) can profit off of comfort and with it being so accessible, loyal audiences can instantly seek out solace in their favourite characters and no longer have to endure the time it takes for the new episode ‘By streaming Friends, a show emblematic of “comfort TV”, Netflix taps into a deep reservoir of cultural capital, enabling the platform to simultaneously appeal to both older viewers who recall its original airing and younger generations discovering the series for the first time.’ (Geraghty, 2020)

Different audiences will have experienced ‘Friends’ in very contrasting ways, whilst one awaited patiently throughout the endless week for the outcome of Ross and Rachel’s turbulent relationship, the other can’t wait one second to answer the question that hung over the last episode… Did she get off the plane? One is not superior to the other, but rather indicative of the ever-evolving nature of television consumption. We now have the viewer autonomy to control the narrative as it suits us and tailor it to our lives, building connections we never thought possible between reality and fiction. When we cry, we cry with them and when we laugh, we laugh with them too. We replay the heartfelt and hilarious, stopping and starting to our own rhythm. They’ll always be there for you, waiting for when you need them. Just press play.

M, Jenner (2017) ‘Binge-watching: Video-on-demand, quality TV and mainstreaming fandom’ SAGE Journals

L, Geraghty (2020) ‘Streaming Nostalgia: The Cultural Capital of Friends on Netflix. Television & New Media’ SAGE Journals 

Written by Lara Shaw 33695257