The Love Is Blind reunion didn’t end up being live on April 16 due to “technical difficulties,” but apologetic Netflix brass are very pleased with the viewership the streamer had once the special finally aired.
“We hate when these things happen, but we’ll learn from it and will get better,” co-CEO Greg Peters said today on Netflix’s Q1 earnings video of the Love Is Blind SNAFU. “We do have the fundamental infrastructure that we need,” Peters added, and noted “the good news is that you know ultimately 6.5 million viewers watched and enjoyed the show.”
Also addressing the streamer’s experiments in live shows, like Chris Rock’s recent Selective Outrage special and the reality dating show reunion, fellow co-CEO Ted Sarandos admitted he was “super disappointed” in Love Is Blind going dark when it should have been live. But never one to stray too far from pitch man mode, Sarandos shifted gears to add “we’re super thrilled that people love the show, and it does point to the kind of love for that brand, and for the growing love for those unscripted brands on Netflix.”
Closing out the series’ fourth season, the Love Is Blind special was just the second live event effort by Netflix. Heavily hyped by anticipated comments from the comedian on getting slapped on-stage at the 2022 Oscars by Will Smith, Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage debuted live and to strong numbers late on March 4 – with no apparent technical difficulties.
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“I do think sometimes those results oriented shows do little play out a little bit better on live and they do generate a lot of conversation,” he continued, pushing a greater live strategy for the streamer. “But keep in mind like on Chris Rock, about 90% of the viewing happened after. But that doesn’t change the fact that it was a big event when it happened live.”
“Streaming is the future …and we have plenty of room to grow,” the consistently upbeat exec went on to say at the end of the earnings call, the first one without former CEO Reed Hastings.
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