Friends or Seinfeld: Which Is the Superior Sitcom After All?

Let's get into the criteria for comparison.

1. Critical Acclaim (Winner: Seinfeld)

Seinfeld is the show that has shaped the sitcom genre as we know it today, and 34 years later (just think about that!), it still sets the high standards that all the critics have praised since the beginning.

Friends has never been that popular with the critics, but the show has become an audience favorite for years to come!

2. Awards & Nominations (Tied)

Friends may not have been the critics' darling, but it still managed to secure 256 nominations and 65 wins across a variety of awards, while Seinfeld only had 155 nods and 42 wins.

Although, with 68 noms and 10 wins, the latter certainly beat Friends, which only had 62 noms and 6 wins, Primetime Emmy-wise! Let's call it a tie, shall we?

3. Viewers (Tied)

While the two shows couldn't have more different vibes going, Seinfeld drew significantly more viewers back in the 1990s, with its final season peaking at 35.5 million viewers.

Friends couldn't compete, as season 2, its highest-rated season, only gained 29.4 million viewers. In the streaming era, however, Friends is the clear winner.

Netflix paid $100 million to keep it through 2019 before Max bought it out for $425 million.

Netflix then offered a hefty sum of $500 million for five years of Seinfeld, but it was obvious that the platform just wanted a good enough replacement for Friends.

Previously, Seinfeld was available on Hulu, but it wasn't nearly the money-maker that Friends was for Netflix.

4. N Years Later Perspective (Winner: Seinfeld)

Neither show has aged perfectly, but you can say that about any show from the 1990s or early 2000s – watching them now, some jokes and episodes just don't work.

While Seinfeld has a few problematic storylines, such as the deportation of a certain Pakistani immigrant framed as a funny story, Friends is full of questionable moments throughout its ten seasons.

From jokes about Chandler's transgender dad to the whole mess of an incest-suggesting episode, Friends has more to be ashamed of in the era of Me Too and all that.

While the outlined criteria might suggest that Seinfeld is the ultimate winner, Friends actually takes the crown for one simple reason.

It is still the IT show 30 years later – beloved by fans of multiple generations, experiencing a renaissance every few years with the merchandise and references to it in other hit series, and generally being around for all this time.

Seinfeld could never.