Still there for you: Friends is the most-viewed UK streaming show

David Schwimmer (from left), Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox Arquette, Paul Rudd and Lisa Kudrow appear in this scene from the series finale of NBC’s Friends. The long defunct sitcom was the most popular show on U.K. streaming services, according to U.K. broadcast regulator Ofcom. (Warner Bros./The Canadian Press)

​Almost 15 years after it ended, Friends is still there for British viewers.

The catchphrase-generating New York-set sitcom is the most popular show on U.K. streaming services, beating big-budget original productions from Netflix and Amazon.

Friends stars, from left, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc pose after winning outstanding comedy series at the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. (Reed Saxon/Associated Press)
Research by U.K. broadcast regulator Ofcom shows Friends led the field in the first quarter of 2018, followed by laddish Amazon auto show The Grand Tour and lavish Netflix royal drama The Crown.

The figures may be attributable to binge-watching by Friends fans after the show was added to Netflix’s U.K. slate in January.

The data was released July 18 but reported by British media on Friday.

The Ofcom data reveals how streaming has transformed U.K. television viewing habits, with 39 per cent of British households subscribing to at least one service.

Friends continues to have a global fanbase. Chinese devotees are seen here in 2010 watching an episode of the sitcom at a Beijing cafe modelled after the one in the show. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)