Did she get off the plane? Almost a decade has passed since Friends had viewers on the edge of their seats, asking themselves this question with hearts throbbing in their chests. In many ways, the series finale distilled the emotions viewers had felt throughout the eight seasons of the NBC series into one episode. The anticipation over Rachel and Ross’ love saga, the hysterics of Chandler and Joey’s antics, Monica’s perfect life dreams and Phoebe’s timeless charm kept millions glued to their screens for years. 

This spell that Friends had on generations of audiences appears to have never faded judging by recent reports. 

Rankings reveal Friends’ dominion continues to this day

According to rankings accumulated by reputed data insight generation firm, Nielsen, Friends remained in the top 10 most streamed shows in the USA for 2023. It placed in the eighth position having entertained viewers for 25 billion minutes in the previous year through Max. While it fell behind programs like The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy and Gilmore Girls, it is worth noting that it is also the oldest of the lot. 

In the first position stood the courtroom drama, Suits, whose popularity has seen a significant boost recently, possibly due to Meghan Markle joining and leaving the royal ranks of the British monarchy. Following close behind was a show that went viral in 2023 for its specific catering towards dog owners, Bluey. Even at number eight, the timeless appeal of the iconic 90s sitcom is evident. 

One thing that boosted its viewership in 2023 significantly was the loss of one of its most legendary cast members. 

Matthew Perry’s death became a catalyst for viewers to rewatch Friends

In 2022, Friends made up 14 billion minutes worth of screen time for viewers in the USA, which is a number consistent with previous years. However, the tragic and unexpected passing away of Matthew Perry in October shook fans to the core leaving them hungry for a glimpse of the deceased actor through the beloved show. This resulted in a large percentage leap in its popularity in the last bits of 2023. 

Within a day of his death, Friends became the most-viewed content on Max, including series and movies! The streaming mogul declared this fact, honoring the love and pain fans had felt upon Perry’s demise. However, his demise has also raised the question of what will happen to the series’ rights next since Perry had no known heirs and partly owned the show.

ALSO READ: How Will Matthew Perry Passing Away Affect ‘Friends’? The Cast Will Need to Make These Decisions Soon

What do you think of Friends‘ continued appeal after so many years? Share your thoughts in the comments.