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- Fans of “The Office” took to social media to voice their disappointment after the long-running series left Netflix for NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
- The show was Netflix’s most-watched show, but
- NBCUniversal was able to outbid Netflix for the series.
- The first two seasons will be available for free, and the others will behind a $5-a-month paywall.
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“The Office” left Netflix on January 1, and superfans are feeling the pain.
The move had been teased by NBC since 2019, when CEO Steve Burke announced the network’s own streaming service to rival Netflix. The departure of the cult series deals a blow to Netflix, as it was the streaming giant’s most popular show.
NBCUniversal acquired “The Office” from Netflix for a reported $100 million, according to NBC News. Netflix bid $90 million to keep the series.
—Netflix (@netflix) June 25, 2019
Many Netflix subscribers unaware of the approaching departure date awoke in 2021 to find the series was no longer on the service. Fans then flocked to Twitter over the long weekend to mourn the loss.
—bri (@bigshitxtalker) January 1, 2021
—Wendy Espinosa (@espinosaawendy) January 1, 2021
—mama ang 🦋 (@asunahdz) January 2, 2021
—Brit (@BritneyLynnW) January 1, 2021
The series isn’t gone from the internet forever though.
Netflix subscribers in the UK can now stream the series. But for those outside of the UK, it is now only available to stream on NBC Universal’s Peacock service. The first two seasons are available for free (with ads), while the rest are behind a $5-a-month paywall. Along with the rest of the series, subscribers will have access to deleted content and scenes that hadn’t aired.
Peacock will also debut “The Office Zen,” a 24/7 channel “devoted to the sights and sounds of the office for anyone working at home,” according to the show’s official webpage.