by Thinus Ferreira
M-Net has acquired the licensing rights to the much-anticipated HBO Max special, Friends: The Reunion that will be broadcast on the M-Net (DStv 101) channel in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa on 30 May, 3 days after its American release date, after which it will be made available on Showmax as well from 31 May.
M-Net didn't respond with any answers to media enquiries made since 17 May asking whether M-Net is acquiring or looking at acquiring the Friends: The Reunion special from WarnerMedia.
HBO is releasing Friends: The Reunion on Thursday 27 May on its HBO Max video streaming service in the United States with Britain's Sky that secured the rights for the United Kingdom and where it will be broadcast on the same night.
M-Net has now also managed to pick up the TV special, also known as "The One Where They Get Back Together" and will debut it 3 days later on Sunday 30 May on the M-Net channel at 20:00, followed by MultiChoice's video streaming service, Showmax that will get it from Monday 31 May.
It's not clear why Sky is able to offer British viewers Friends: The Reunion as a same-day-and-date release and why South Africans have to wait 3 days before being able to see it on M-Net, and 4 days for Showmax.
All 6 original Friends cast members will return for the show, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry, who will also be joined by various celebrity guests, and a Friends quiz on the recreated Friends set on the Warner Bros. studios lot is also included.
Some of the celebrities who will make an appearance include former guest cast members like Tom Selleck and Maggie Wheeler who played Janice, as well as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, James Corden, who will be interviewing the Friends cast, David Beckham, Kit Harington, the K-pop band BTS, and the Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
