Netflix Exploring Live Streaming For First Time; Plans To Roll Out For Unscripted Series & Stand-Up Specials

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is going live for the first time.Deadline understands that the streamer is exploring the launch of live streaming.It plans to roll out the capability, which Netflix confirmed was in the early stages of development, for its swathe of unscripted shows and stand-up specials.It would mean that Netflix would be able to use it for live voting for competition series and talent contests such as its upcoming dance competition series Dance 100 from The Circle producer Studio Lambert.Similarly, it could use it if it decides to bring back its Netflix Is A Joke festival.

The live comedy event featured around 300 stand-up performances across LA including Dave Chappelle, Larry David and Pete Davidson.

Many of the shows were being filmed with plans to air around 12 of them on the service. In future, it could potentially air shows live, albeit with a few seconds delay in case things get saucy.Other options include for live reunions for shows such as Selling Sunset, which just aired a reunion special for its fifth season.The move opens up the potential to order a whole new raft of unscripted series to use the technology, bringing it in to line with the linear networks, which often air live specials for big competition series such as ABC’s American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, which is moving to Disney+.The company has already experimented with different release patterns for its unscripted series and social experiments such as The Circle and Love Is Blind and the move would add further intrigue to such shows.The inevitable next question is whether such a move could be rolled out to cover sports, which has been a hot topic of discussion given its recent success of F1 series Drive to Survive.