'The Office' Makes Paper in Syndication

Next fall, you'll be able to watch The Office just about anywhere. Dismiss from your mind for a moment that you can watch episodes for free on Hulu and think about the ol' idiot box: The American production of the groundbreaking BBC series will now air on broadcast stations in 93% of the markets in the United States, according to The Hollywood Reporter, part of a huge package - that's what she said - that will work independently of NBC's existing rerun slate on TBS and Fox stations. The new deal brings in about $3 million per episode for NBC Universal, and with about 100 episodes...well, that's pretty easy math, isn't it? On top of the Fox and TBS arrangement, The Office will now air on stations owned by CBS, Tribune, Peachtree, Sinclair, Gannett, Meredith, Hearst-Argyle, LIN, and others. If you've ever wondered why you haven't seen Paul Reiser in about half a decade (and who hasn't?) or why Ray Romano doesn't seem too anxious to work, syndication is the reason. We're talking ridiculous amounts of money. Not that anyone from The Office or Romano or Reiser would be in this category, but Forbes reported in 2004 that Jerry Seinfeld made $267 million a year from a show that hadn't been on the air in five years. The point is, if you've got a producer's stake in the show - as a lot of the cast members and writers of The Office do - you may not need to work very hard ever again. So next fall, look for The Office reruns on Fox if you live in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando, Baltimore, or Memphis. If you're in Philly, Boston, Seatlle, Miami, or Pittsburgh, you can catch it on your CBS affiliate.