'Friends' Headed to Netflix in January

Today is turning out to be a seriously awesome day on the streaming front.

Not to be outdone by HBO, Netflix just announced via Twitter that the entire Friends catalog will be available on its streaming service in the U.S. and Canada on New Year's Day 2015. Yes, Friends fanatics, you'll be able to re-live every up and down of all 10 seasons, starting on January 1.

Just think about it! Smelly Cat. Pivot. Ross and Rachael drama! The whole gang, whenever you want.

You can already catch Friends on TBS and Nick at Nite in broadcast syndication, but this is the first time distributor Warner Bros. Television has licensed video-on-demand rights to the show, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, according to Deadline.

To hype the launch, Netflix put out a video featuring The Rembrandts' theme song filmed on location at the Central Perk Pop Up coffee shop in New York City on Oct. 6. Check it out below.

Meanwhile, Netflix's announcement comes after HBO earlier today announced that it will offer a standalone streaming service in 2015, meaning that for the first time ever you'll be able to enjoy the premium network's shows without a cable subscription. "It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO," the premium network's chairman and CEO Richard Plepler, said today at a Time Warner Inc. investor meeting.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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