The Streaming Wars Loom: The Big Reason ‘The Office’ Is Leaving Netflix

After years of near-miss situations, Netflix and NBCUniversal have confirmed fans worst fears: “The Office,” the massively popular sitcom that aired on NBC from 2005-2013, will be leaving Netflix at the end of 2020. Anyone familiar with the looming streaming wars could tell you that this was inevitable and that it foreshadows a lot of changes coming in the near future.

Once “The Office” is done on Netflix, it is slated to stream exclusively on NBCUniversal’s planned streaming service starting in January 2021. As heated as recent years have been, this is a sign of the real streaming wars to come: massive conglomerates like Disney, WarnerMedia, and NBCUniversal developing their own platforms to compete with Netflix and others by offering exclusive access to their own catalogs. “The Office” might be the biggest and most recent casualty, but it will not be the last. “Friends,” another fan favorite, is also likely to leave Netflix for Warner’s service in 2020.

For all the billions of dollars Netflix has poured into its original content, up till now ,“The Office” remained its most-watched offering by a considerable margin. Moving forward, the service is likely to face a hemorrhaging of non-original content as these competing services take back their toys. Netflix currently hosts a wealth of Disney content, including films ranging as far back as “Cars 3” to the recent “Mary Poppins Returns,” which debuts on the service in July. All of these movies and shows will soon make their exit and start living on Disney+, while newer releases like “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers: Endgame” will stream there exclusively from the start.

For now, “Office” die-hards looking to avoid these streaming anxieties should consider picking up the series on physical media, or digital services like iTunes or Amazon. The complete series is currently $70 on iTunes, but smarter shoppers can also bide their time and pick it up on deep discount during a sale. Even in the streaming age, it’s still smart to own the things you love.