Netflix is desperate to retain its top-watched show The Office, with the streaming service's exclusive licensing deal set to expire and rights-holder NBCUniversal planning to launch a competing streaming platform next year.
Top executives at NBCUniversal have begun internal discussions about removing The Office from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021, people familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal.
In response to the report, Netflix rushed to soothe anxious viewers of its top-watched show, writing in a tweet on Wednesday: 'Hello it's me with your regularly scheduled reminder that The Office will be on Netflix until 2021 — at least!'
Last year, The Office accounted for nearly 3 percent of all U.S. Netflix viewing, or some 52 billion minutes, according to a data analysis that Nielsen performed for the Journal.
Netflix reportedly paid around $100million for the exclusive rights to stream The Office over several years - but when the deal expires in 2021, the beloved sitcom's future on Netflix is in doubt.