U.S. network sitcoms from the 1990s and 2000s still remain some of the biggest performers on streaming services. Shows like “Friends” and “The Office” still pull in people because they’re comfort food – quick to consume, standalone and just 22 minutes an episode is an easier commitment than hour-long serialised TV.
At the end of 2019, “Friends” left Netflix and currently has no SVOD home until the launch of HBO Max in May. In that gap though, demand for the show hasn’t quelled and so fans are seeking other means to obtain the show.
Variety reports that sales of both digital and physical versions of the “Friends” complete boxset on discs, Amazon, iTunes and the like are surging – roughly tripling compared to the same time last year. In fact, it’s the top-selling catalog-TV franchise in home entertainment in 2020 so far.
Warners is using this to its advantage, creating marketing materials that encourage people to purchase the show themselves and pointing out where they can acquire it.
The show was a major success in its era, though has come under heavy fire in recent years for everything from homophobia and transphobia to dubious sexual politics, fat-shaming, abusive relationships and the just plain horribleness of Ross as a character.
