Can you watch the Friends reunion if you’re not in the United States?

UPDATE 5/24/2021: International fans can actually tune in for the Friends reunion special even if they don’t have HBO Max. Read about it here.

Original story below.

It’s finally happening! The news we’ve been waiting for is finally here in the form of a release date for the Friends reunion special.

If you’ve been keeping up with all the updates on the unscripted show, you’ll know that this special has faced a ton of setbacks. Though it was announced that the six main actors from Friends–Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry–would be coming together again for a reunion via HBO Max back in 2019, COVID-19 shutdowns kept it from being filmed. It wasn’t until this spring that the beloved stars could all reunite and shoot the highly-anticipated special, and now it’s just around the corner.

It was announced on May 13 that the Friends reunion will be coming out in just a week’s time on Thursday, May 27. Could we be any more excited?! This date will mark the one-year anniversary of HBO Max’s debut.

So, now that we know when the reunion will air, how exactly can we watch it? And more importantly, can only people in the United States tune in?

How to watch the Friends reunion special

Fortunately for viewers in the United States, it’ll be relatively easy to watch the Friends reunion special. With a subscription to HBO Max, you’ll be able to stream it the day it comes out on May 27. We’re expecting it to debut, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet, at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET early that morning.

And for fans outside of the United States, it might be a bit more difficult to watch the special, sadly. As of May 2021, HBO Max is only available in the U.S., but there is good news ahead. According to The Verge, the streaming service is set to make its international debut this June, expanding its reach to Latin America and the Caribbean. The exact locations are as follows:

• Anguilla
• Antigua
• Argentina
• Aruba
• British Virgin Islands
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Curacao, Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Montserrat
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent
• Suriname
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

HBO Max is also expected to expand to Europe sometime later this year, which is set to include “the Nordics, Spain, Central Europe, and Portugal,” per The Verge. Stay tuned for other possible international debuts for the streaming platform.

If you live in any of these Latin America and Caribbean locations, you’ll be able to watch the Friends reunion a bit delayed–but at least you’ll have access to it sometime soon. As for anyone else who isn’t located in these places or in the United States, it looks like you’re out of luck for now. It’s possible you’ll be able to find a video link on Reddit or elsewhere on social media, but don’t hold your breath for an HBO Max subscription at this point.

It’s unfortunate that the Friends reunion will only be available in the United States at the time of its premiere, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that more fans will get to watch it soon!