"The Office" leaves Netflix January 1st; here's where you can stream it starting next year

NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming content service is coming to a major crossroad. The service launched this past July and already has 26 million subscribers. And on January 1st, Peacock gets the streaming rights to one of the most popular shows offered on Netflix, "The Office." Filmed in the style of a mockumentary (such as "Parks and Rec"), "The Office" was the second most popular show on Netflix during the week of November 9th topped only by the streamer's mega-hit "The Queen's Gambit" (which is a must-see!).

NBCUniversal is paying $100 million a year for the rights to "The Office" and is still debating the best way to market the series. Sources close to NBCUniversal say that no decision has been made yet on how to market the series. One possibility is to put some episodes behind a paywall. One tier of service is supported by ads but includes a limited lineup. For $4.99 a month, subscribers can choose from additional streamed fare which includes some live sports. This service is free to some Comcast and Cox Communications users. For $9.99 a month, Peacock can be streamed sans ads which is how Netflix subscribers viewed "The Office" before the switch.

How NBCUniversal decides to market "The Office" will make a huge difference on how some of its other properties fare. One strategy, making all episodes of the show available to users of the free tier would generate new subscriptions but at too high a cost. Offering "The Office" for paying customers would help bring in some revenue and might prevent Comcast and Cox subscribers from dropping their TV and internet services.

Rich Greenfield, an analyst at LightShed Partners LLC asks, "When you move a show from ad-free to an ad-based environment, what happens to consumption? It will be a really great test." The analyst adds that NBCUniverse is "protecting the pay-TV universe that Peacock is tied to. It’s added value for being a Comcast or Cox subscriber."

Peacock offers a number of popular television series that can be viewed across different devices including Android phones and tablets running versions 6.0 and higher, and iPhones and iPads powered by iOS 11 and up.