Netflix to Start Live Streaming Stand-Up Specials and Unscripted Series: Report

According to Deadline, Netflix is working on bringing live streaming to the platform and has confirmed that the feature is currently in the early stages of development.

Live streaming should open up a whole new world of content for the streamer, which has hit a rough patch in recent months after a shocking subscriber loss in Q1 sent shares plummeting more than 25%.

Netflix’s share price has continued on a downtrend, and an April report indicated that the company has decided to rein in its historically frivolous spending patterns.

While developing the infrastructure and resources necessary to deliver an entirely new format of programming to its subscribers won’t be cheap, it may end up being a worthwhile investment for Netflix. The streamer’s plethora of unscripted shows and stand-up specials are ripe for being taken live, and it could even break into the live contests and competitions space.

The new format could even serve as a way for Netflix to bring back its ‘Netflix Is a Joke’ comedy festival or add more weight to special reunions for beloved shows.

If successful, live streaming could lead Netflix to up its investment in unscripted series. The company has already experimented with different release patterns for unscripted series and social experiments like The Circle and Love Is Blind, and getting into live streaming could add more allure to such shows.

Live streaming is still in its infancy at Netflix, and there’s no set timeline for public release at this time. What’s more, the streamer will likely choose to air live shows with a few seconds of delay in case things get a little too risqué for television.

Netflix is reportedly set to crack down on password sharing as it gears up to launch an ad-supported subscription tier with a lower price by the end of 2022.