Following the example of Apple TV, which a month ago made its debut in baseball once a week, Netflix is preparing to explore the beauty of live streaming: the streaming giant, according to the show website ‘Deadline’, is studying mechanisms to propose unscripted reality show and ‘live’ comedy specials to its millions of subscribers.
The project, after years of building subscriptions based on on-demand programming, would allow Netflix to get audiences to vote live for talent competitions and contests such as Studio Lambert’s upcoming ‘Dance 100’ dance contest.
It could also serve as a platform for the ‘Netflix is a Joke’ festival, a live event that brought about 300 comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Larry David, Chris Rock and Pete Davidson to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The initial idea was to stream 12 of the exclusive filmed shows (viewers had been blocked from using their mobile phones), but in the future one could think of live broadcasting, albeit with a few seconds delay in case where an ‘at risk’ show invites censors to pause the video.
Other options still in early development include live reunions of shows like the reality show ‘Selling Sunset’, which just streamed a cast ‘homecoming’ special for its fifth season.
Live streaming also offers the possibility to order non-scripted series in line with what the networks do, for example ABC with ‘American Idol’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ now on Disney +.
‘Deadline’, announcing the plans, wondered if and when live streaming could be applied to the sport, in the wake of the recent success of the ‘Drive To Survive’ Formula 1 series. The site excludes that this is in the cards, at least for the moment.
And in another development for Netflix, the platform’s leaders updated the company’s cultural guidelines by adding a section on “artistic expression” stating that “viewers decide what’s right for them.”
A message to employees, who recently protested about shows like the homophobic and anti-trans content of comedian Chappelle: “Depending on the role, you may find yourself working on titles that you find harmful. But if you find it difficult to sustain a catalog as large as ours, Netflix may not be the best place for you. “
