Wait, Why Isn’t The Office On Peacock Yet?

NBC has just rolled its new streaming service, Peacock, which promises, according to its website, "Hundreds of movies. Thousands of episodes. Binge-worthy TV shows. Sports. News. Pop culture. Always-on Channels." Sounds pretty good, right? Well, while there are supposedly 20,000 hours of content for you to consume from your couch, your favorite show might not be on the streamer yet. Like, for instance, The Office isn't on Peacock yet. Yes, I know. It's sad. But don't fret — there's better news ahead.

Currently, Jim (John Krasinski), Pam (Jenna Fischer), Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and world's best boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) have a nice, cozy home on Netflix, and you can watch all the episodes you want. Like the dinner party episode! Or the one with the Dundies! But in June 2019, Netflix tweeted the news that NBC was taking back its must-have sitcom for streaming on Peacock in January 2021 to the tune of $500 million. Adding to the news, NBC said in a press release that it had secured exclusive domestic streaming rights for The Office for five years, taking the series on Peacock through 2026. So don't worry — if you don't like change, you only have to deal with The Office moving once in the next half-decade. All of this makes perfect sense — obviously, NBC would want one of its flagship comedies on its own streaming service, because it would encourage The Office fans to sign up for (and possibly pay for the premium tier on) Peacock. Pretty straightforward business decision there, as shows like Parks And Recreation are already on Peacock.

The Office's arrival on Peacock will be a big deal, but don't get excited for a reboot just yet. According to Deadline, NBCUniversal Entertainment Networks President of Original Content Bill McGoldrick, it's not even close to being in the works. "We have not talked specifically about The Office reboots for Peacock; we’ve talked about things we can do to support The Office once it gets to our service but a reboot has not come up specifically for Peacock,” he said. When asked about a reunion, McGoldrick said that "lots of creative ideas" were being batted around to celebrate the launch, but he stayed mum on specifics. For the record, Steve Carell has expressed his disinterest in doing a reboot, but hey — for the right check and at the right time, you never know.

So while Peacock is just getting started, it won't have one of its biggest shows until 2021. That means fans can enjoy The Office on Netflix for the time being, and after January 2021, they might have to sign up for yet another streaming service. (Or, ya know, "borrow" a password from a friend.)