‘Friends deal a testament to show’s value’

JENNIFER ANISTON CALLS it “amazing” that Friends still has an audience big enough to prompt multi-million dollar business deals to keep it from disappearing on Netflix.

“I find it amazing that it’s continued to have such love and such an audience and such an appetite for it,” Aniston said at the premiere of her Netflix film Dumplin’.

After an outcry from fans, Netflix announced earlier in the week that it was keeping the adventures of Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler and Joey available to subscribers through 2019 — at a reported $100 million price tag to the streaming service. “I think it says a lot about the show. Especially since it takes place at a time where it’s so different from now. You know, people actually spoke to each other and hung out with each other and talked,” Aniston said.

Warnermedia owns the show, which aired on NBC for ten years ending in 2004. It won six Emmy Awards, including a best comedy actress Emmy for Aniston. Netflix paid more than triple the $30 million a year it had been paying for Friends, The New York Times reported, citing two unidentified people with direct knowledge of the deal.

Friends could soon appear more places online. The Times said nothing in the Netflix deal prevented the show from appearing on a streaming service AT&T plans to launch in 2020.