Netflix to hold another live streaming event, this time for a Love Is Blind reunion
After Chris Rock's Selective Outrage, the streaming service is dipping its toe back into live events
About a month ago, Netflix debuted its first-ever live-streamed comedy special, Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage, which had the bonus benefit of being Rock’s first special since getting slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars. It was apparently a success, at least in terms of people talking about it the weekend it debuted (which is really all Netflix cares about anyway), so now they’re doing it again—or at least they’re doing another live-streamed event, even if this one isn’t a comedy special.
However, it is something well-suited to the format anyway: a live reunion special for hit dating show Love Is Blind. Netflix’s reality shows have always been trying to be Bravo, and a move like this is very Bravo (its reunion specials aren’t usually live, but Watch What Happens Live is at least), so this seems like a perfect match between an already-popular show and a new gimmick format that Netflix seems excited to try out.
The special will are live on Netflix on April 16 at 8pm ET, and it will feature regular hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey meeting with this season’s Love Is Blind cast as they “unravel all the season’s twists and turns, share reactions to watching their stories unfold, and find out which couples are still together after saying ‘I do’ and ‘I don’t.’” That comes from a press release that also teases that “Anything could happen!” with an exclamation point and everything.
This is some technical stuff, but the press release also notes that users can rewind and pause the stream, and if they join in late they can start at the beginning or watch it live, which are reasonably advanced capabilities for a thing that Netflix has only ever done once before. Every other streaming platform that airs things live can already do all of that, but least Netflix isn’t coming in to this with some half-assed setup.