Picture: ABC
Last Summer, Netflix acquired the rights to the fan-favorite ABC series Lost, not only in the United States as part of a Disney deal, but also worldwide. Sadly, the rights for the show are coming up already for most after only a single year. For those in the US, however, you’ll still have a good few more months to watch it before it departs.
On the air between 2004 and 2010, Lost was the survival thriller that redefined what TV could be and arguably set the blueprint (at least in part) for how streaming TV is today: big budget and big stakes. Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, the show has enjoyed various stints on Netflix in the past, notably in the US throughout the 2010s before its removal in 2018. However, since then, the series has been locked to Disney+ and Hulu. That was until last Summer when most Netflix regions acquired all six seasons on July 1st, 2024, and a month and a half later in the international areas on August 15th.
The show was a big hit for Netflix, spending one week in the global top 10s, but more importantly, amassing hundreds of millions of viewing hours according to the Netflix Engagement Reports. According to the engagement report, the series garnered 880 million viewing hours globally between July and December 2024. That equates to 58.10 million views. It was one of the most-watched licensed titles for the period, but Prison Break, which landed on Netflix globally under similar circumstances, picked up 1.5B viewing hours in the same period. You can also see that Netflix picking up Lost caused a significant boost in the show’s search trends throughout the back half of the year.
Lost is Leaving Netflix Internationally in August 2025
After just a single year, all six seasons of Lost are set to leave Netflix in international regions. In effect, all international regions of Netflix are losing Lost in August, but among the most notable include:
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Australia
- Germany
- France
- Japan
- South Korea
- Brazil
- Mexico
A last-minute renewal could halt the series’ departure from Netflix, but typically, once a removal date begins showing on the page, it’s lights out for that particular title. The removal is planned for August 15th, meaning your last day to watch the series is August 14th.
Removal date on Lost for Netflix UK
When will Lost leave Netflix in the US?
The United States will retain the rights for a little longer than the US, with all the Disney shows picked up by Netflix throughout 2024 and into early 2025 licensed for 18 months. That means that Los will be departing on January 1st, 2026, with your last day to watch being December 31st (ie, New Year’s Day removal).
You can find the full list of Disney-owned show removals from Netflix that are due to take place throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 here.
On the one hand, it’s great that Netflix has been able to license more shows from third-party distributors that used to keep their shows exclusively to themselves, but one-year licenses often don’t feel long enough to get true value out of them. It’s a delicate balance for Netflix to avoid overpaying for a title that languishes in views over an extended period, while third parties weigh up whether giving out their valuable IP ultimately bolsters Netflix at their own expense.
Will you be getting in a last-minute binge of Lost before it leaves Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
