Chris Rock Will Perform Standup Show in Netflix’s First-Ever Livestream

Netflix has announced that Chris Rock‘s next special will debut in the streaming service’s first global livestream in history.

“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats. “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.”

The event, slated to arrive in early 2023, will be the performer’s second stand-up special with Netflix following Chris Rock: Tamborine, which debuted in February 2018.

The Saturday Night Live alum recently confirmed that he declined an offer to host the 2023 Academy Awards following his incident with Will Smith in 2022. While Rock hasn’t spoken about the incident much publicly, it remains the most viral moment of the year and has been the revolving conversation surrounding the iconic comedian for some time. Although he hasn’t shied away from the topic in his current live shows around the world, many would assume the topic will be on the top of his list.

The event follows in the footsteps of the streamer’s initiative to build its leadership in producing live comedy content. Netflix is a Joke: The Festival was the biggest live, in-person event in the history of Netflix in Spring 2022. The festival sold more than 260,000 tickets, featuring more than 330 comedians performing 295 shows across more than 35 venues in Los Angeles. The show was also the first-ever stand-up show at Dodger Stadium.

Although Netflix says the special is expected to arrive in early 2023, there is no official date or official name for the event.