Comedian Chris Rock is to become the first artist to perform live on Netflix.
The writer, director and actor is to appear in a live-streamed comedy special early in 2023.
“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 honoured that Chris is carrying this torch.”
Netflix has been exploring live events for some time with sports also on the agenda. It recently withdrew from a bid to acquire rights to the ATP Tennis tour, which Amazon has recently been exploiting, and is anticipated to return to Sky.
This is Rock’s second Netflix stand-up special. His first, Chris Rock: Tamborine, debuted in February 2018.
Live comedy has been a staple for the streamer as it has moved outside of movies and drama. Netflix is a Joke: The Festival was the biggest live, in-person event in Netflix history, taking place in Spring 2022. The event sold more than 260,000 tickets, featuring more than 330 comedians performing 295 shows across more than 35 venues in Los Angeles.
