Netflix is about to break a barrier that it has never crossed before: live streaming. The world’s largest streaming service is gearing up to show its first-ever live event in the Chris Rock stand-up comedy special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.”

Apparently, that isn’t enough live content to satisfy Netflix. The service has announced that it will be offering a live pre-show starting at 9:30 p.m. ET on March 4. Hosted by Ronny Chieng, “The Show Before the Show” will serve as something of a warm-up act, featuring appearances by Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones, Deon Cole and more.

The half hour will include live commentary from fellow comedians and special messages from some of Rock’s friends including Amy Schumer, Cedric the Entertainer, Ice-T, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Matthew McConaughey, Sir Paul McCartney, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and more.

Rock will take the stage at 10:00 p.m., and immediately following will be “The Show After the Show.” This wrap-up production will be hosted by David Spade and Dana Carvey, who will welcome guests including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, JB Smoove, Arsenio Hall and more to recap the special.

“March 4 will be a hilarious evening, with an incredible set from Chris Rock - one of the greatest stand-ups of all-time - and contributions from an amazing lineup of special guests,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats. “Our goal is to deliver the best stand-up comedy to our members and this live streaming event further reinforces all the ways we continue to invest in the genre.”

Netflix also released some details about the user experience audiences can expect for “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.” Joining the livestream early will take viewers to a waiting room until “The Show Before the Show” starts. Audiences will be able to pause, rewind and jump to the beginning of the special, while those who join late will be given a “Play From the Beginning” button. Users who pop out during the stream will see the special in their “Continue Watching” row.

This is Rock’s second Netflix stand-up special; his first, “Chris Rock: Tamborine,” debuted in February 2018. The first-ever live event on Netflix was originally announced in November 2022. The service also offers dozens of other stand-up comedy specials, from comedians like Bill Burr, Ali Wong, Kevin Hart, and Pete Davidson.

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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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