Comcast Hints 'The Office' Is Headed to NBCUniversal's New Streaming Service
May 13 2019 - 1:33PM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Flint
NBCUniversal gave ad buyers every reason to believe that its
coming direct-to-consumer streaming service would feature reruns of
"The Office, " which is currently the most-watched show on Netflix
Inc.
During its presentation to advertisers Monday at Radio City
Music Hall, NBCUniversal sales chief Linda Yaccarino all but said
the popular sitcom that ran on NBC and was made by its sister TV
studio would be on the platform, which is due to launch next
year.
First, a graphic touting the Comcast Corp. unit's assets pointed
out the popularity of "The Office" on Netflix, which seemed out of
place at an event aimed at pitching platforms that, unlike Netflix,
have advertising.
Then Ms. Yaccarino said the great NBC shows would be "coming
home" to the streaming service. If that wasn't subtle enough, she
then talked about the great characters of NBC shows past and
present including "Jim and Pam," whose romance was a major plot of
"The Office" during its run.
Netflix's deal for "The Office" -- which gives it exclusive
streaming rights -- isn't up until 2021. It is already facing the
prospect of losing episodes of "Friends" to a new streaming service
from AT&T Inc.'s WarnerMedia. "Friends" is owned by Warner
Bros., a unit of WarnerMedia.
Last December, Netflix struck a deal for one more year of
"Friends" at a cost of $100 million. Under the terms of the deal,
WarnerMedia can move the show to its service, scheduled to make its
debut later this year, on an exclusive basis or share it with
Netflix for a reduced price.
Netflix's head of content Ted Sarandos has said the streaming
service long anticipated the possibility of losing popular reruns
as Walt Disney Co., WarnerMedia and Comcast begin their own
streaming services.
A Netflix spokesman declined to comment on Ms Yaccarino's
remarks.
Unlike the other coming services, NBCUniveral's will be free and
have commercials.
"While other companies are pushing advertisers out, we are
bringing you in," Ms. Yaccarino said.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 13, 2019 13:18 ET (17:18 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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