Back in April, Netflix stopped broadcasting Friends in Australia (the rights went to Max, which has since renamed itself HBO Max). While Australia is far from Netflix’s largest market, that’s already cut the viewing for the sitcom favourite significantly.
Earlier this month Netflix put out its latest viewership figures, covering the first half of 2025. And while Friends was only missing in Australia for half that time (and doubtless left some other new-to-Max markets too), its disappearance has made a notable difference to the show’s viewing figures.
Let’s look at the numbers. Here are the 10 seasons ranked by total views on Netflix between January and June 2025, and the percentage those views have dropped compared to the prior six months.
| Season | Views | Decline |
|---|---|---|
| Season 6 | 3,200,000 | 24% |
| Season 5 | 3,200,000 | 24% |
| Season 7 | 3,100,000 | 23% |
| Season 3 | 3,000,000 | 23% |
| Season 1 | 3,000,000 | 29% |
| Season 4 | 3,000,000 | 25% |
| Season 8 | 3,000,000 | 23% |
| Season 2 | 2,900,000 | 26% |
| Season 9 | 2,700,000 | 23% |
| Season 10 | 2,500,000 | 22% |
While you’d expect a vintage series to see a decline, this rate is a lot steeper than we’ve seen with prior periods. The average decline across all seasons is 24%. Australia is certainly making a difference.
And while Friends has scraped into the top 10% of shows globally on Netflix in recent years, that’s no longer the case. Only seasons 6, 5 and 7 are in the top 10% this time around.
It’s particularly telling that Season 1 has the biggest drop – that’s where many viewers would start revisiting (or discovering) the series. Season 6 has long been the most popular, and that hasn’t changed.
If we rank season by hours viewed, not just views, we see some slight adjustment, with Season 5 becoming the most popular. (That’s the one that starts in London and finishes in Vegas; good times.)
| Season | Hours viewed |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | 38,100,000 |
| Season 7 | 37,600,000 |
| Season 6 | 37,600,000 |
| Season 4 | 37,200,000 |
| Season 1 | 35,500,000 |
| Season 3 | 35,100,000 |
| Season 2 | 35,000,000 |
| Season 9 | 33,900,000 |
| Season 8 | 33,800,000 |
| Season 10 | 23,700,000 |
That said, if we adjust the ranking to reflect the slightly different total run times of each season, Season 6 jumps back into first place.
- Season 6
- Season 5
- Season 7
- Season 3
- Season 1
- Season 4
- Season 8
- Season 2
- Season 9
- Season 10
As I point out every time I analyse these numbers, Friends not being on Netflix doesn’t change my life. I have the whole series on DVD, which also means I get the extended versions of some episodes, not the syndicated cuts that Netflix (and HBO Max) use. If you’re keen on the show, I suggest you do the same.
For more Friends history that you didn’t know you didn’t know you didn’t know, check out what actually happened when Patsy Kensit was cast as Emily and the odd way Channel 9 handled Days Of Our Lives.
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