Friends, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, left Netflix at the end of 2019, and until it reappears on HBO Max in May it’s currently unavailable on any streaming services in the US. Because of this, fans are turning to DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital releases to get their hands on the show, and sales have gone way up.
According to a report on Variety, sale of Friends on disc and digital have “roughly tripled” since the show disappeared from Netflix. According to Rosemary Markson, senior vice president of TV marketing at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, it has been the “top-selling catalog-TV franchise in home entertainment” since the beginning of 2020.
The show’s portal on the Warner Bros website directs potential customers towards stores where they can potentially buy the series, which debuted almost 26 years ago. Friends: The Complete Series on Blu-Ray sells for $115 on Amazon.
The report also notes that disc sales were down 20% in revenue overall in 2019, but that some TV shows, like Game of Thrones, did very well, and that digital sales were up 5% on 2018 numbers.
A Friends reunion, while not officially confirmed, is looking more and more likely, with an apparent budget of $20 million having been set to get the show’s six stars back together.
2020 will be the final year that The Office will be available on Netflix, too. It will transition onto NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, in 2021.
