Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Legendary comic Chris Rock will host a live comedy special on Netflix in early 2023, the streaming service announced Thursday. This isn’t just a big deal because of who’s involved — it also marks Netflix’s first-ever global livestreamed event.
Image: Netflix
The success of the event could signal a significant new path for Netflix. The company has so far relied on building a massive on-demand catalog of TV shows and movies to keep people subscribed month after month, but this new event could indicate that the company is looking to add live content to its catalog of shows as well. (Perhaps live sports?) Netflix had confirmed it was looking into livestreaming earlier this year.
Netflix has already hosted a live in-person comedy event, Netflix is a Joke: The Festival, which took place this past spring. But Rock’s special takes Netflix’s live events a step further by being streamed to subscribers. Rock already has a stand-up special on Netflix, Chris Rock: Tamborine.