"Friends" to get $750,000 per episode

All you "Friends" lovers here‘s an interesting fact which will tell you that it ‘really pays‘ to be good friends - pun intended.

The cast of Friends, which will enter into its sixth season, have negotiated a deal with NBC which could well be one of the highest paying deals per episode.

According to the new two-year contract, the cast of Friends, which includes David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette and Matt LeBlanc, will be getting a package of $750,000 per episode. This is a raise from their $125,000 five-year deal which they signed in 1996. The actors were negotiating as a group for a package of $1 million per new episode.

In addition to the flat rate, the stars of the series will see their share of lucrative syndication rights double from a half point to a full point, according to industry sources. The deal assures NBC of an anchor for its Thursday night showcase through the 2002 television season.