Steve Carell as Michael Scott in "The Office". (Photo: Justin Lubin, NBC Universal)

You might want Netflix binge-watch "The Office" and "Friends." Pronto.

Because it's getting ugly on the battlefield of emerging streaming services.

The Wall Street Journal reports that NBCUniversal, which owns the rights to "The Office," has internal discussions about the removal of the comic staple from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021. NBCUniversal launches its own streaming service and " The Office "would be a major draw.

There was screaming desperation on Twitter well before the expiration of any contract.

"This is the real threat level at midnight. #Netflix #theoffice," wrote the @MyOwnInsideJoke Twitter user.

"If" The Office "leaves Netflix, my life will be ruined forever," wrote @Tondruh, a Twitter user.

Another user exclaimed: "If @netflix (loses) The Office Show … I will end my subscription to 15 US dollars (that's the only reason I've got still Netflix). "

But it's bigger than Dunder Mifflin.

WarnerMedia, which owns the rights to "Friends," and Walt Disney are also launching streaming services and "seek to resume the content of their hit to feed their own platforms," ​​according to the newspaper.

"Friends" is a major draw of Netflix. Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller. (Photo: WARNER BROS TELEVISION)

Popular rebroadcasts of "Friends" cost Netflix $ 100 million in 2019, about three times the royalties paid in previous years, according to the Journal. When WarnerMedia launches its streaming service, "it can resume the sitcom as it sees fit, or offer it" share with Netflix. "

Netflix will decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not it wants to share programs, Netflix content manager Ted Sarandos said in a recent interview.

Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, said the company had been waiting a long time to lose some of its library content. The paper quotes Hastings during a conference call about profits, saying the company was "ready to do it, anticipating it", and in fact we are looking forward to having more and more of our money. to be able to produce new spectacular titles. "

In the same call, Sarandos stated that Netflix 's originals, such as "Stranger Things", are "the shows for which our members give us the most importance, and the things we give a lot of. Warning."

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