Netflix subscribers are going to want to get in as much time as they can with the Dunder Mifflin gang for the rest of 2019 and throughout 2020, because by the end of next year the beloved workplace sitcom will no longer be available on the streaming service. Netflix has made it very clear that The Office is its top performing show, so why is The Office leaving Netflix? Let's get into the real reason why the show is leaving its streaming home, and how fans can continue to rewatch the series after 2020.
The reason for The Office being pulled from Netflix is NBC's decision to retain exclusive rights to the series for its upcoming streaming service. NBC announced that The Office will be available to stream exclusively through the network's new streaming service at the beginning of 2021 in a press release. NBC's streaming service is slated to launch at the beginning of 2020.
According to NBC's sister channel CNBC, a considerable amount of money was thrown around in the negotiations between NBC and Netflix for The Office's streaming rights. Apparently, Netflix offered to pay $90 million per year to keep The Office on its platform, but NBC outbid Netflix and will pay $100 million a year to keep the show's exclusive streaming rights. The five-year deal goes into effect at the beginning or 2021, meaning that it will cost NBC a half a billion dollars total to retain The Office's exclusive streaming rights through 2026.
So, how can The Office fanatics continue to stream their favorite show once 2020 comes to an end? NBC's streaming service should be nearly a year old by the time it gains The Office's streaming rights, so it will not be this mysterious, unknown entity by that point. One big plus is that the new streaming platform will be free for anyone who has a traditional TV package. If you don't pay for a cable service, then you will be able to use NBC's streaming service for $10 per month.
Another option that superfans may want to look into is buying all nine seasons of The Office online before the series leaves Netflix. The complete series is currently available for purchase on iTunes for $70, but as fans have pointed out, iTunes has often put it on sale for drastically cheaper prices. The Office fans have noted that iTunes was offering the whole series for a $30 purchase at the end of last year. Since we still have a year and a half before the series leaves Netflix, fans definitely have the time to wait to see if iTunes puts the series on sale again sometime soon before buying it.
Thankfully, The Office fans do not have to worry about the show being immediately pulled from Netflix. Viewers still have a full year and a half to enjoy watching and rewatching the nine-season sitcom to their heart's content before 2021. It is still a good idea to start forming a plan for what you are going to do when The Office movies to NBC's streaming service, though, if you are a massive superfan of the series.
