Netflix had better be ready for primetime, because the first live-streamed event in the service’s history is coming up soon. The world’s largest streamer has announced that it will host Chris Rock’s live stand-up comedy special “Selective Outrage” on Wednesday, March 4, 2023 at 10 p.m. ET.

This is Rock’s second Netflix stand-up special; his first, “Chris Rock: Tamborine,” debuted in February 2018. The historic event was originally announced in November. Netflix also offers dozens of other stand-up comedy specials, from comedians like Bill Burr, Ali Wong, Kevin Hart, and Pete Davidson.

Watch a Trailer for ‘Chris Rock: Selective Outrage’

The special will be a historical one for Netflix. Although the company has hosted stand-up specials performed live before an audience, those specials were not live-streamed. This will be the first time any Netflix content will have been performed and streamed live, and it marks a big achievement for the service.

Netflix is not the only streamer dabbling in more live events. Disney+ dipped its toe into live streaming multiple times in 2022, first with the 2022 Academy Award nominations. This fall, Disney+ became the exclusive home of live, weekly broadcasts of “Dancing With the Stars.” There is one category of live-streaming both Disney+ and Netflix have eschewed, however: live sports.

While the rest of the streaming world is seemingly investing in live sports rights, Netflix has been hesitant to get into those high-priced negotiations. Instead, it has been reported that the streaming giant is considering purchasing the broadcast rights to smaller, niche sports, or simply buying entire leagues in order to use its global reach to elevate the sport via a variety of different content types.

Netflix has been willing to reverse itself on a number of long-standing internal rules in 2022. The service launched an ad-supported tier in November, after years of promising that ads would never appear on the platform. Netflix also announced password-sharing measures that were long resisted by some company executives The announcement of the live-streaming date of “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” marks another departure from longstanding corporate practices at Netflix, showing the company will do whatever it has to t remain the streamer to beat in 2023.

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Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”

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The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

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