How much does the cast of ‘Friends’ make in royalties?

Amongst ultra-classic television series like I Love Lucy and Cheers, the series Friends continues to cement its place amongst other perpetually loved shows. With it being such a successful TV series, how much are the cast making in royalties?

The actors from Friends all receive royalties, but you’re going to see a much higher amount of royalties from the main cast, like Courtney Cox and Jennifer Anniston. The principal group of actors for any very successful television show will be making millions of dollars in royalties over time, and Friends is no different. In fact, they may be the amongst the highest earners of TV show royalties.

How much in royalties does the cast of Friends make?

A USA Today article published in February 2015 is the most recent peek we can get into the earnings of the popular TV show’s main cast. And it is undoubtable that the primary cast of Friends are certainly a rich group of actors. As of 2015, the cast of Friends was making 2% in royalties, which put them at about $20 million in earnings every year. This goes for each of the main cast, with them getting 2% in royalties individually.

Royalties (and residuals, which are union negotiated royalties) are a consistent influx of money that actors, writers, and other media staff receive after a TV show has gone past its initial airing and experiences reruns on networks or rewatches on streaming services. Residuals from streaming services do get a bit complicated, but network reruns (which have been the bread and butter for shows like Friends) are more direct.