Starting in 2021, NBC's soon-to-be-launched streaming service will be the only place in the U.S. where fans of "The Office" will be able to stream the hit TV show.
NBCUniversal announced Tuesday it has won exclusive domestic streaming rights for all nine seasons of the NBC sitcom. The deal runs for five years.
Netflix's current contract for "The Office" expires in 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal.
CNBC reported that Netflix offered to pay up to $90 million a year for the rights to keep the show, but NBC topped it and will pay $100 million.
NBC's ad-supported streaming service is set to launch in 2020 and will be free for traditional pay-TV subscribers and cost around $10 per month for those without cable subscriptions, according to CNBC.
In response, Netflix tweeted that they'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."
”‘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,” said Bonnie Hammer, Chairman of NBCUniversal Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises in a release. “We can’t wait to welcome the gang from Dunder Mifflin to NBCUniversal’s new streaming service.”
NBCUniversal's Chairman of Advertising and Partnership added in a statement that "there's more to come."
That tease is sure to wind up the rumor mill surrounding the future streaming fate of "Friends," which is locked in on Netflix through 2019.
