Take a seat, everyone, because I have some disappointing news. The Office is officially leaving Netflix in 2021, which means you will no longer be able to sign onto the streaming platform and watch your favorite episodes for hours on end. I'll tell you why it's leaving in just a moment — but first, let's talk about how fans are reacting to the update. With one scan through Twitter, it's obvious that people are devastated (same). TBH, all of the tweets about The Office leaving Netflix in 2021 make it borderline impossible to "stay calm!"
Most folks are responding to Netflix's official Twitter announcement about the news, which was posted late on Tuesday, June 25. The tweet said, "We're sad that NBC has decided to take The Office back for its own streaming platform — but members can binge watch the show to their hearts' content ad-free on Netflix until January 2021." Sure, 2021 is still a few years away, but the thought of The Office not being available on Netflix in the near future is beyond disappointing, ugh.
In case you're wondering, NBCUniversal announced its decision to take The Office back in a press release on June 25. Apparently, the company acquired "the exclusive domestic streaming rights" to the show, and will release all seasons on its upcoming streaming service for five years.
As I previously mentioned, Twitter is *not* happy about this.
Some fans are questioning how many more times they can watch The Office on Netflix before it's taken away.
Others are wondering whether they should even keep Netflix or not.
Netflix is bummed about losing The Office, too, though.
I guess everyone's just going to have to enjoy the sitcom while it's still available on the platform (or subscribe to NBCUniversal's streaming service in 2021).
Speaking of NBCUniversal, it seems like the company is super stoked to reclaim its beloved series. Bonnie Hammer, Chairman of NBCUniversal Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises, talked about the change in a press release. She said,
The Office has become a staple of pop-culture and is a rare gem whose relevance continues to grow at a time when fans have more entertainment choices than ever before. We can’t wait to welcome the gang from Dunder Mifflin to NBCUniversal’s new streaming service.
Don't get me wrong: A new streaming platform is definitely something to be excited about. Still, most folks are upset about the change.
With that being said, it's obvious that The Office has had a successful run on Netflix (and will continue to flourish until 2021). In fact, the sitcom was streamed for over 52 billion minutes in 2018 via Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD), per NBCUniversal. I don't know about you, but I definitely contributed to that count.
If you're hoping to catch your fave characters after 2021, keep your eyes open for news about NBCUniversal's upcoming streaming service. In the meantime, go ahead and rewatch your go-to episodes. I know I'm going to.
