Call it “The One With All the Money.”
Friends went off the air after 10 seasons and 236 episodes in 2004, but it’s still “hugely popular all over the world.” That’s according to Ted Sarandos, the content chief of Netflix, which shelled out a staggering $80 million to keep the sitcom on the streaming service. (It’s also a favorite among Tinder users.) So, while Friends fans are ecstatic that the Chick and the Duck will be there for them (when the rain starts to pour), the real winners here are the show’s cast.
The cast’s per episode paycheck [$1 million per episode for seasons 9 and 10] wasn’t the only dough they were receiving from the show. After season six was over and it was back to the negotiation table, they all started receiving a portion of the show’s syndication profits. Today, all six of them still receive 2 percent of syndication income, or $20 million each per year, since the show still brings in $1 billion annually for Warner Bros. Now that the Netflix deal is going through, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer can expect to see even more on their checks. (Via)
That’s right: the Friends gang still makes $20 million a year 14 years after the series finale, or one million for every time Schwimmer said “JUICE” on American Crime Story. No wonder the cast, especially LeBlanc (who “doesn’t want to be asked that question anymore”), has been resistant to reuniting at Central Perk: they don’t need the money. Except maybe Gunther. Poor Gunther.
(Via Market Place)
