Image Credit: Warner Bros. Television
After a mass exodus that saw one of the most popular sitcoms of all time leave Netflix in almost every region, Friend It has just officially returned to service in dozens of international territories in addition to the countries where it was reactivated earlier this year.
As you remember, Friend It was once the undisputed crown jewel of Netflix’s acquired library. However, as Warner Bros. Discovery launched its own streaming service (HBO Max, then Max, and now HBO Max again) globally over the past few years, the Central Perk crew slowly disappeared from Netflix country-by-country.
Friend, A major part of Netflix’s library throughout much of the 2010s worldwide, it was pulled from Netflix in several waves, depending on where you lived. The United States was naturally the first country to lose the show in 2020, with almost all other regions losing it in the coming years, with the last stragglers like the UK losing it in late 2025 as HBO Max was preparing to launch there.
It’s not a secret Friend A lot of time has been wasted watching Netflix over the past few years despite it not being available in most regions. According to data from the Netflix Engagement Report, the series still managed to achieve 2.22 billion viewing hours worldwide between 2023 and 2025, which is equivalent to 244.5M views.
Image: Warner Bros. Television
where is Friend Returning to Netflix?
We can confirm that Friends has now returned to all international markets with the exception of five major exceptions: Canada, the UK, Germany, Italy, and of course, the United States.
The vast majority of these regions watched the series on Netflix today (2 July 2026). However, some lucky regions actually picked up the show earlier this year, with India, South Africa, and Japan getting it in late March 2026.
If you’re in the UK, Canada, Germany or Italy, the series will be exclusive to HBO Max for the foreseeable future, though there are other options along with WBD that often partner with local distribution, such as NowTV in the UK, to provide access. Friend.
Of course, many Warner Bros. television shows have hit Netflix in the United States and other regions last year as licensing has picked up again, especially during Netflix’s attempt to acquire the company.
Are you happy to see? Friend Finally back on Netflix in your region? Let us know in the comments below!
