HBO Max was originally set to kick off their new direct-to-consumer streaming service with a "Friends" reunion special. However, the taping of the special, which was scheduled for March 23 and March 24, has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A new taping date is expected for May, though, which could mean the special will still be available when HBO Max comes out in the same month.
A subscription to HBO Max will cost $15 per month. Current subscribers of HBO's existing streaming service, HBO Now, will be able to upgrade to HBO Max at no additional cost. At first, the service will launch in the U.S., expanding next to Latin America and Europe. Latin America is set to get HBO Max sometime in 2021.
When it comes to "Friends," AT&T's (NYSE: T) WarnerMedia, which heads up HBO, strategically acquired the rights to the show, so all original 10 seasons and 236 episodes will be available to HBO Max subscribers, in addition to the reunion special which, when possible to tape, will be directed by Ben Winston. Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) held the streaming rights for "Friends" until late last year.
"Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together - we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library," said HBO chief content officer Kevin Reilly. "I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation. It taps into an era when friends - and audiences - gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans."
Original "Friends" cast members Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courteney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Matthew Perry (Chandler), and David Schwimmer (Ross) will each receive between $2.25 million and $2.5 million for the special, once taping is able to move forward.
The six-time Emmy-winning show set records while on air. In 2004, the "Friends" series finale garnered 52.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched television episode of the 2000s and the fifth most-watched television series finale of all time.
In addition to "Friends" and all the shows and movies HBO currently has to offer, HBO Max will include other high-profile content like "Rick & Morty," "South Park," and "The Big Bang Theory." Overall, 10,000 hours of content are anticipated at launch.
Major competitors of HBO Max, other than the longstanding Netflix, include Disney+ (NYSE: DIS) and Apple TV+ (NASDAQ: AAPL), both of which launched last November.