When Netflix introduced their streaming services back in 2007, people were a little slow to pick up on the revolutionary implications that such a service would have on all forms of shared media. But, the company soon gained wide-stream popularity as a meme came out which created what is now used a euphemism all around the world, and which had the name "Netflix" in people's mouths (and on their Instagram feeds) for a while to come. Now, flash forward to 12 years later and the company is bigger than ever, offering their own original shows as well as a wide plethora of classic and contemporary favorites to subscribed members. And now, others are trying to get their slice of the pie, hopping on board the streaming service fad to offer (hungry) users alternative, and sometimes even cheaper, ways to stream their favorites.
So it's no surprise that in such a competitive climate, these streaming services would be doing everything in their power to set themselves apart from one another. Back in February, Disney announced their own streaming service, and said that they would be taking back all their Marvel Entertainment content. Now, it seems as though others are starting to catch onto this cunning ploy of exclusively streaming the shows which they own the rights to, as Netflix announced on their official Twitter account on Tuesday that NBC would be taking back the popular sitcom, "The Office," to offer on its own streaming platform. NBC confirmed it has secured "exclusive domestic streaming rights" for all nine seasons of the series in a news release, and that it will be available on the company's new service for five years.
It's really no surprise that NBC would pull this move. "The Office," which debuted on NBC in 2005, was streamed for about 52 billion minutes in 2018, according to Nielsen data referenced by NBC in its news release Tuesday. NBC also added that in April, the show was viewed nearly twice as much as the next most-viewed program on streaming on-demand video.
