Comedy Central retains Friends rights
August 12, 2015
Friends is set to stay on Comedy Central UK for another four years after the pay-TV channel secured a new deal, despite rumours that Netflix might look to steal the rights to the US comedy behemoth.
Comedy Central, which is run by Viacom, has agreed a deal with Warner Bros to continue hosting re-runs of the 10 series of Friends until 2019 in the UK. The show retains a strong fanbase even though its final episode aired 11 years ago.
To mark the new deal Comedy Central is launching a week-long “FriendsFest” that will see a venue in Brick Lane, London, turned into the “ultimate Friends experience”.
“Friends has become synonymous with Comedy Central in the minds of fans and so I’m thrilled we can continue to deliver them their favourite show,” commented Jill Offman, managing director of Comedy Central UK. “We are also investing in the brand off-air and can’t wait to host FriendsFest, a week long interactive experience in central London this September.”