HOLLYWOOD—Netflix announced Thursday that comedian Chris Rock will perform a stand-up show in the network’s first-ever live, global streaming event. The comedy special is set to stream in early 2023. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
Netflix has had a roller coaster year; the first half of the year saw two consecutive quarters of a decline in paid net subscribers worldwide, leading some pundits to question its future and the network to take steps to crack down on password sharing and launch a new ad-supported tier, which premiered last week. But the company’s fortunes rebounded recently with the widespread success of its "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" series, as well as reporting an increase in subscriptions in its latest quarterlies several weeks ago.
In addition, as it sees its competitors Amazon Prime and Apple TV infiltrate the live sports streaming sector with the NFL and MLB, the live Rock special could signify that the streaming service is taking live streaming more seriously (although the differences between broadcasting a live standup vs. live sports are obvious).
“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats. “We're thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we're so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
This will be Rock’s second Netflix stand-up special. His first, "Chris Rock: Tamborine," debuted in February 2018.
In its announcement, Netflix took pains to emphasize its position as a leader in live comedy, despite the recent controversy over Dave Chappelle. Its “Netflix is a Joke: The Festival”, which took place last spring, was the biggest live, in-person event in Netflix history, the streamer said. The event sold more than 260,000 tickets and featured more than 330 comedians performing 295 shows across more than 35 venues in Los Angeles. The festival also featured the first-ever stand-up show at Dodger Stadium.
