Abbott Elementary Set to Stream on Two Separate Streaming Services

It didn't take long for Abbott Elementary to graduate from TV's best kept secret to the breakout comedy hit of the entire year. The ABC sitcom followed up its Season 2 renewal with a horde of Emmy nominations and a full 22-episode order for the fall. While fans await the show's return in September, it is about to get a little easier to stream, as the first season of Abbott Elementary is getting added to a second streaming service.

To this point, Abbott Elementary has only been available to stream on Hulu. That will change on August 20th, when the first season of the series makes its way to HBO Max. The two streamers announced on Thursday that they will share co-exclusive streaming rights to Abbott moving forward, so fans can find it on both services.

Created by series star Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary has renewed the popularity of the mockumentary style sitcom, made popular by shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. Given the style, and a will-they-won't-they relationship at its center, Abbott Elementary has drawn a lot of comparisons to the Emmy-winning Office series. Star Tyler James Williams doesn't mind the comparison, as it proves they must be doing something right.

"It's impossible for The Office not to be an influence. It's the golden standard of this style," Williams told Variety earlier this year. "And Randall Einhorn, who [was a cinematographer and director] on The Office is one of our executive producers, and directed [six] episodes of this season. So there's gonna be a lot of things that feel that way. However, for me, unfortunately, I can no longer watch The Office. Because I don't want to bring things in that I'm not even cognizant of. I have to lose The Office in this process, so that we don't end up directly stealing anything here."

"It's like the comparison between [Michael] Jordan and the Bulls and LeBron [James] and – not the Lakers now, because, geez, we're not making playoffs ... but you know what I mean? The fact that this is even the conversation, particularly as a Season 1 show, is incredibly humbling. It's an honor. If that's the bar that we're being compared to, that's where I would like to reside. I like high stakes. So if it comes down to, 'Which one's better? The Office or Abbott?' I'll take that fight every day."

Abbott Elementary returns for its second season this September on ABC.