“We were on a break!”
The global smash-hit and timeless sitcom Friends has returned to Netflix after a short hiatus, bringing Ross Geller’s iconic lines back into the spotlight. The 10-season-long series, which first arrived on the platform in 2015, has been a consistent favorite among viewers. So when it was removed from streaming on December 30, 2025, viewers were left disappointed.
Originally, Friends aired on NBC for its entire ten-season run, from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2006. It evolved into a cult classic over the years and remains one of the most beloved comfort watches ever made. After its decade-long run and enduring global popularity, Friends returns to Netflix within a short span, and that comes as little surprise, given the streamer has consistently ranked it among its most-watched shows worldwide.
Friends’ Departure And Return To Netflix
This time around, the streamer bid goodbye to Friends at the end of 2025 in regions including the UK, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Switzerland. But, as expected, Netflix renewed its licensing deal, bringing the series back to the platform on March 31. Per TIME, Friends arrived on Netflix beginning January 1, 2015, and the streamer announced it via its X (formerly Twitter) on October 15, 2015:
And with that, all 236 episodes of the show were made available to stream at once. Friends also performed significantly well on Netflix U.K., with THR reporting in August 2018 that the series, added to the platform in January that year, topped most-streamed shows in the first quarter, outperforming The Grand Tour, The Crown, Stranger Things, and Peaky Blinders.
Friends follows a ragtag group navigating life and relationships in the Big Apple, beginning with Rachel Green, a rich daddy’s daughter who transforms into a fiercely independent fashion executive. Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, she reconnects with a friend from Lincoln High School, Monica Geller, in the city after leaving her deceitful fiancé, Barry Farber, at the altar. Rachel becomes roommates with Monica.
Monica, played by actress Courtney Cox, is the mother hen of the group, with her iconic purple-walled apartment serving as the group’s hangout pad along with Central Perk. More characters in the ensemble, not to mention equally important, are Monica’s older brother, Ross (David Schwimmer), who, at the start of Friends, is a recently divorced paleontologist. Ross’ college roommate, the ever-so-hilarious Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), lives across the hall with the struggling Italian-American actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc). Last but not least, they are joined by Monica’s former roommate, Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay, the eccentric massage therapist with a formative backstory.
Created by Marta Kuffman and David Crane, alongside producer Kevin S. Bright, the return of Friends on Netflix has brought joy to viewers.
