It’s been brewing for a long time now and it has finally been confirmed that Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe will be returning to Central Perk, but you might be wondering how to watch the Friends special reunion episode in the UK. The reason that it’s a little bit more complicated than before is that the one-off episode will be on HBO-Max, a new US streaming service that is due to launch in May.
As a result, it won’t be available on Netflix any more, which is where the current back catalogue of episodes have been for years and it won’t be coming to Channel 4 either. The sitcom launched on Channel 4 in the UK way back in 1995, having initially aired in the US on NBC, becoming crazy popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
The more recent Netflix streaming service has resulted in a new set of younger fans for Friends, which adds even more expectant viewers to the original class of Smelly Cat. With so many people looking forward to the reunion episode, you’re probably wondering what the deal is with HBO-Max and how you can get in on the fun for the show when it airs in the UK.
Can you watch HBO-Max in the UK
HBO-Max will launch in May 2020 in the US, but there are no details as of yet in terms of the potential of it coming out in the UK. Both of HBO’s previous streaming services have never arrived in Britain, so the likelihood of HBO-Max getting a UK release is very low, which means it probably won’t be the way to watch the big comeback episode for the lobsters and their much-lived group of friends.
So how can you watch the Friends reunion episode in the UK
While HBO doesn’t provide its streaming services in the UK, we still get to watch a lot of it’s shows like Westworld, Game Of Thrones and Watchmen thanks to its deal with Sky TV. As a result, the most likely result is that the Friends reunion episode will be exclusive to Sky in the UK, so you’ll need to have the service to be able to watch it.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll need a paid subscription to be able to watch the big return episode. If you haven’t already used up your free trial with Now TV then it could well be your best bet to be able to watch the special without paying for a subscription service. Just remember to cancel before the trial period ends if you don’t want to continue to use it past the free window of time.
What comes after the one-off episode
A number of publications have already begun to speculate about the prospect of the episode being a gateway to a full-fledged 11th series for Friends. Nothing has been confirmed by HBO as of yet, but we really wouldn’t be surprised as it would give Max another big draw for subscribers.
It is fast becoming a packed TV and movie streaming industry with Disney+ throwing its hat into the ring in March in the UK, having launched in the US in November. This adds to the bigger, more established providers, Netflix and Amazon Prime, as well as the other new contenders, YouTube Premier and Apple TV.
However, over here it Britain, the full return of Friends should again be heading to Sky if it lands at all. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more entertainment news and reviews and you can check out the official Twitter page for the show at https://twitter.com/friendstv.
