'Friends' Streaming Surged Day After Matthew Perry's Death, Becomes 7th Most Streamed Show
Shortly after Matthew Perry's sudden death was reported on Oct. 28, "Friends" experienced a surge in minutes viewed per Nielsen's streaming charts, marking its highest weekly total minutes viewed for the year.
According to Deadline, "Friends" rose to the No. 7 spot on the top 10 acquired titles list after recording 583 million minutes viewed following the news of Perry's death. The American sitcom achieved such a feat just a few hours after Nielsen's Oct. 23 to Oct. 29 tally closed.
It was reportedly the highest weekly total minutes viewed for "Friends" since the end of January.
Matthew Perry was found dead in his home at Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 28. He allegedly died of an apparent drowning. He was 54 years old.
When his sudden death was announced, his "Friends" co-stars released a joint statement saying, "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now, we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time, we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, "Friends" started airing on NBC in September 1994. It lasted for 10 seasons until May 2004.
Its ensemble cast included Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller.
Set in New York City, the series follows the eventful day-to-day lives of a group of friends in their 20s in the city.
Following the success of "Friends," a spinoff titled "Joey" starring Matt LeBlanc with his reprised role as Joey Tribbiani premiered on NBC in September 2004. It went on for two seasons and ended in August 2006.
In 2021, HBO Max gathered the stars of "Friends" in the reunion special titled "Friends: The Reunion." The highly-anticipated reunion special was released on May 27, 2021.
