The ensemble of the immensely successful sitcom Friends is said to continue earning millions annually from the series, even though its final episode aired more than ten years ago.
As reported by the economics platform Marketplace, each of the main actors—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and Lisa Kudrow—receives approximately $20 million (around £16 million) each year from reruns of the show.
During the show’s original run, the cast famously negotiated for increased salaries, ultimately earning about $1 million per episode. Marketplace also indicates that as part of these negotiations, the actors secured a provision in their contracts that granted them two percent of the syndication revenue.
Currently, the series reportedly generates around $1 billion annually from syndication, resulting in each cast member receiving about $20 million.
Recently, the New York Times reported that Netflix invested an impressive $100 million to retain the show on its streaming service, which is $30 million more than the amount paid in 2018, suggesting that the cast may receive even larger paychecks this year.