When 10 Popular Netflix Series Are Set to Leave the Service – and Why It Matters (Exclusive)

As Netflix continues to try and claw its way back from a $200 billion stock-market hole, the top streamer must soon also contend with the looming loss of some of its most-watched titles.

In June, Netflix U.S. lost 12 seasons of CBS’ “Criminal Minds” and it’s been reported that Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” will depart the streamer later this month. But in a joint investigation with What’s on Netflix, TheWrap has learned of additional upcoming expiration dates for high-profile licensed titles currently nestled in the streamer’s U.S. library. Should extensions not be reached by Netflix and the series owners, these titles will be removed from the domestic catalog on the upcoming dates.

Why is this happening? As the streaming wars continue to heat up, parent companies are increasingly reclaiming licensed titles from rival streamers to prop up their own in-house services. It’s one major reason why Netflix’s total library of TV series and films offered in the U.S. has thinned from around 11,000 titles in 2015 to just around 6,000.

Also Read:
The 55 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now

Representatives for Disney/ABC, Sony, Paramount Global and NBCUniversal didn’t respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment. Reps for Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix had no comment.

1. “New Girl” – April 10, 2023 (Disney)

After the loss of “Friends” and “The Office” and the upcoming departure of “30 Rock,” Netflix may not want to lose too many more well-liked sitcoms. “New Girl” certainly falls under that category. With all seven seasons available on Netflix, it was the 10th most-watched acquired series on all of streaming in 2021, according to Nielsen.

Also Read:
What Netflix’s $200 Million Bet on ‘The Gray Man’ Says About the Streamer’s Film Franchise Future

2. “Community” – April 1, 2024 (Sony)

The cult classic “Community” is in danger of leaving Netflix once more, which would put a dent in any hopes for a revival movie. Social media lit up when “Community” rejoined Netflix in April 2020 and the resurgence led to increased chatter about that ever-elusive “Community” film.

“I can tell people for sure that the enthusiasm for ‘Community,’ both for all of this time and the resurgence of it [on Netflix], there’s always an aspect of that affects the marketplace,” creator Dan Harmon told TheWrap in 2020. “And when the marketplace gets affected, conversations happen. And when conversations happen, things happen.”

But the potential loss of the streets ahead sitcom would put a damper on anything happening at Netflix. (It’s worth noting Netflix and Sony have a cozy Pay 1 film output deal in place, which could pave the way for constructive TV extension conversations).

Also Read:
5 Great Netflix Shows to Watch That Were Filmed in Paris (Photos)

3. “NCIS” – June 30, 2024 (Paramount Global)

Not only is “NCIS” a linear ratings hit, but the CBS procedural was actually the fourth most-watched acquired show across all of streaming in 2021, according to Nielsen.

Given its popularity, Paramount Global may want to reclaim its rights for Paramount+ as it prepares to revive the series. If so, it’ll be a big blow to Netflix as it loses one its most popular offerings.

4. “How to Get Away With Murder” – October 1, 2024 (Disney/ABC)

Popular licensed library content helps to increase engagement among users and retain customers in order to avoid the dreaded subscriber churn (the rate in which customers subscribe and then cancel). As hours-watched becomes an increasingly key metric with which we evaluate the streaming industry, longer-running series with an impressive bank of episodes can take on added importance. The Viola Davis-led “How to Get Away With Murder” and its 90 episodes across six seasons certainly qualifies. The series has garnered 63 total days in Netflix’s on-site top 10 carousel overall, according to Flix Patrol.

5. “Breaking Bad” – February 10, 2025 (Sony)

“Breaking Bad” was the first linear series Netflix helped turn into a hit as subscribers caught up on old episodes before flocking to AMC for new installments. That mutually beneficial partnership between Netflix and series producer Sony Television led to the Netflix Original prequel movie “El Camino” and a licensing agreement for prequel series “Better Call Saul.”

As the latter returned to AMC for Season 6 in mid-April, it drove renewed interest and viewership for “Breaking Bad” and previous seasons of “Better Call Saul” on Netflix. The company will miss that halo effect across multiple titles should “Breaking Bad,” considered one of the greatest scripted dramas of all time, departs the service.

Also Read:
‘Better Call Saul’ Pays Big Dividends for AMC, Much Like ‘Breaking Bad’

6. “The Good Place” – September 26, 2025 (NBCUniversal)

The critically acclaimed sitcom may never have been a linear ratings giant, but it reportedly racked up around 10 million weekly viewers when accounting for delayed viewing across NBC’s digital platforms, DVRs and Hulu across Season 3. (For good reason as the afterlife comedy remixed form and function with gleeful abandon). In the U.S., “The Good Place” has accrued 88 days in Netflix’s self-reported top 10 carousel across its stay on the platform, according to Flix Patrol.

7. “Supernatural” – December 18, 2025 (Warner Bros.)

With a staggering 327 episodes across 15 seasons, it’s no wonder that “Supernatural” was the seventh most-watched acquired title across all of streaming in 2021, per Nielsen. And with prequel series “The Winchesters” in the works at The CW, Netflix surely wants to be in prime position to acquire those streaming rights after the exclusive deal between both networks expired in 2019. Controlling the various titles in a single franchise helps keep users on the hook.

8. “Gilmore Girls” – July 1, 2026 (Warner Bros.)

There are a handful of licensed titles on Netflix that proved to be so popular that the streamer invested in reviving the property. One such case is “Gilmore Girls,” which has been on Netflix since 2014 and helped to spawn the Netflix Original “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” which ran for one season in 2016.

Why does this matter? Netflix divides its subscribers into “taste clusters” based on their movie and TV preferences. The ability to funnel subscribers from one popular licensed show to an original based on these preferences is helpful in keeping users within the Netflix ecosystem. That’s why losing shows like “Gilmore Girls,” the ninth most-watched acquired title across all of streaming last year, can hurt the streamer’s recommendation power.

Also Read:
Surprise Netflix-Microsoft Ad Partnership May Be the First Step in a Larger Strategy | Analysis

9. “Seinfeld” – October 1, 2026 (Sony)

Netflix dropped a whopping $500 million for the global streaming rights to “Seinfeld” in 2019, which had previously been available on Hulu since 2015. On Netflix, “Seinfeld” has been a consistent mainstay on Nielsen’s weekly streaming viewership lists (the show garnered nearly 15 million hours of U.S. viewership from April 25-May 22 alone).

“Seinfeld” debuted on the service in October 2021 and now may be set to leave five years later. For a streamer desperately trying to hold on to key sitcoms, replacing that engagement will be difficult and expensive.

10. “Shameless” – October 11, 2026 (Warner Bros.)

Many of these expiration dates line up a certain amount of years after the final seasons of these shows are added to Netflix. Barring a deal renewal, “Shameless” will depart the service five years after the 11th and final season was added on October 11, 2021. And that would be a tough pill to swallow for the streamer as “Shameless” was the 11th most-watched acquired title across all of streaming in 2021, per Nielsen.

Also Read:
Netflix’s Mixed Earnings Give Hollywood a (Short) Chance to Exhale | Analysis