Picture: Warner Bros. Television
We’ve already touched on some of the big Netflix Originals that could be on the chopping block throughout 2026. Among those titles are Arrested Development, which had a previous removal scare a few years back, plus others like The Last Kingdom and She-Ra and the Princess of Power. But below, we’re going to cover some huge licensed shows that’ll be leaving the streamer, specifically in the United States.
Before we fully get into it, we must stress that these dates are not set in stone and are subject to change. As we’ve seen over the past years with a number of shows, their removal dates can be pushed back or extended altogether.
January 1st
Lost
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- Rating: TV-14
- Release Date: July 1, 2024
- Cast: Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim
- Language: English
- Runtime: 44 min
Watch on Netflix
Kicking off the year, we’re expecting to say goodbye to the ABC supernatural drama Lost. The series made a huge splash when it returned to Netflix US on July 1st, 2024, as part of a licensing deal with Disney that also saw shows like How I Met Your Mother (which just departed) and numerous others come along and experience bumps in viewership.
That deal for Lost, as with all the other titles, has been for exactly 18 months and even sooner for those Netflixers internationally. Once it departs, the series will likely return to being exclusive to Hulu and Disney+, so you’ll want to prioritize your binge of the Island mysteries before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
January 29th
Prison Break
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Rating: TV-14
- Release Date: July 29, 2024
- Cast: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco
- Language: English
- Runtime: 44 min
Watch on Netflix
Another major title that arrived during the Disney licensing wave of 2024 was Prison Break, which has already departed from Netflix in international territories. The Fox drama was added to Netflix on July 29th, 2024, and like Lost, it is subject to an 18-month licensing window.
The series has been a consistent performer in the Netflix Top 10s since its return, proving that Michael Scofield’s escape plans still hold up. If the date holds, it’ll be exclusive to the Disney/Hulu vault in late January.
February 16th
Warrior
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Rating: TV-MA
- Release Date: February 16, 2024
- Cast: Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Kieran Bew, Dean S. Jagger
- Language: English
- Runtime: 60 min
Watch on Netflix
This removal will sting for fans of the action-drama, Warrior. The martial arts crime drama, based on the writings of Bruce Lee, was a Max Original (formerly Cinemax) that Netflix picked up in a surprise non-exclusive deal on February 16th, 2024, with renewed hope among fans that the show’s performance on Netflix might spark a season 4 renewal. That was confirmed not to be happening, and now this Warner Bros. Discovery license is set to expire after exactly 2 years.
May 31st
Your Honor
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Rating: TV-MA
- Release Date: May 31, 2024
- Cast: Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Michael Stuhlbarg
- Language: English
- Runtime: 57 min
Watch on Netflix
Bryan Cranston’s return to the crime drama genre was a massive hit for Netflix when it dropped on May 31st, 2024. The Showtime series found a massive second wind on the streamer, dominating the charts throughout that summer.
Our intel suggests this was a two-year licensing agreement from Paramount Global. Unless an extension is worked out—which is possible given the show’s incredible numbers—we’ll see Judge Michael Desiato vacate the bench in late May.
June 30th
Sex and the City
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Rating: TV-MA
- Release Date: April 1, 2024
- Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis
- Language: English
- Runtime: 31S min
Watch on Netflix
In case you missed it, Netflix scored a number of HBO titles for the first time in its history in 2023, with the vast majority of those having now departed, but there’s still another one that came as part of that initial deal, which will be leaving after an 18-month stint. We’re referring to Sex and the City.
Although Sex and the City was the last of the 2023-2024 HBO shows in the experiment, we have now seen a couple of HBO Max titles since December 2025, plus the HBO series How to Make It in America. If you haven’t finished your rewatch of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha yet, you’ll want to get moving before summer 2026.
July 1st
Gilmore Girls
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: TV-14
- Release Date: November 25, 2016
- Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson
- Language: English
- Runtime: 2 min
Watch on Netflix
We’ve already covered in the aforementioned Netflix Originals leaving in 2026 article how the Netflix spin-off, which will be departing alongside its 10th anniversary on Netflix, will probably be leaving alongside the main Gilmore Girls show, which has been streaming on Netflix for a good 15 years at this point.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been clawing back many of its legacy titles for Max, and while Gilmore Girls has been a staple of the Netflix library (available globally since 2016 and in the US even longer), it feels like the end of an era is approaching for Stars Hollow on Netflix.
October 28th
Gossip Girl
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Rating: TV-14
- Release Date: October 29, 2024
- Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley
- Language: English
- Runtime: 42 min
Watch on Netflix
Gossip Girl pis acking her bags. After a few years away from the service, the original CW hit series made a triumphant return to Netflix US on October 29th, 2024. That return seems to have been strictly for a two-year engagement. Come October 2026, the Upper East Side drama starring Blake Lively and Leighton Meester is scheduled to depart once again, likely heading back to be exclusive on Max.
November 20th
The Resident
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: TV-14
- Release Date: March 4, 2024
- Cast: Matt Czuchry, Manish Dayal, Bruce Greenwood
- Language: English
- Runtime: 60 min
Watch on Netflix
Medical dramas are consistently some of the most-watched content on Netflix, and The Resident was no exception when it arrived in March 2024. The Fox series, which follows the staff at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, quickly found a dedicated audience. Based on our current information, the licensing window for this title is set to close in late 2026.
December 15th
Supergirl
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
- Rating: TV-PG
- Release Date: October 19, 2021
- Cast: Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood
- Language: English
- Runtime: 43 min
Watch on Netflix
The end of 2025 saw three huge shows from The CW depart Netflix, and 2026 will be a bit quieter on this front, although we will see two DC series depart, beginning with Black Lightning on September 1st (following the show’s international departure already) and then Supergirl in December 2026.
For a full look at all of the titles from The CW that will be leaving the streamer in years to come, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.
That’s our picks of the 10 biggest shows set to leave throughout 2026 – what show will you be disappointed to see depart in 2026?
