It has almost been a year since we all witnessed the slap heard around the world. The altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Award has had fans wanting to know more. Well, it seems like we might get just that, and soon.
This special will be Rock’s second after his 2018 Tamborine. This one, however, will be making history. Chris Rock: Selective Outrage will be the first-ever Netflix live streamed global event, filming in Baltimore and streaming at 7 p.m. PST on March 4th.
When the announcement of the special was first made back in November, many were excited to see Rock’s next chapter. “Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” Robbie Praw, Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats said in a press release. “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 honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
This is just Netflix’s latest attempt in the live-comedy space. Back in April, the streamer held its Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles. The festival included comedians like Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, as well as Chris Rock. It sold more than 260,000 tickets and featured 330 comedians in shows across Los Angeles, including the first standup show at Dodger Stadium.
Netflix has been trying to keep up as competition grows in the streaming space and subscriber growth has slowed down. The company recently introduced cheaper subscriptions tiers that include ads for the first time. Additionally it has expanded its platform to include games.
Netflix may be looking to Chris Rock for the break they need. Rightfully so, since fans have been waiting to hear Rock’s words surrounding his face to face with The Fresh Prince.