netflix

netflix

Netflix

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Netflix learned the hard way this weekend that livestreaming a massive global event isn’t as easy as simply dialing in.

On Sunday night, the streaming giant promised fans of its reality show “Love is Blind” a live show reuniting past cast members with hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey. The broadcast was set to begin at 8 p.m. eastern time, but didn’t kick off until an hour later – inconveniently for Netflix, the time that rival streamers HBO and Showtime both release their current prestige dramas, “Succession” and “Yellowjackets.” And, ironically for Netflix, the delay forced subscribers to consider the fact that cable could have executed the event better.

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Evan Xie

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spotify plans to shut down its standalone live audio app, the logically-titled Spotify Live, at the end of April, as part of a larger shift away from real-time programming.

This represents something of a reversal from the last few years for the Swedish audio platform. In the early days of the pandemic, live group chat or “social audio” apps – led by Clubhouse – briefly became a major viral trend, with scores of bored people stuck at home logging in for large-scale free-ranging conversations. In March of 2021, seeking to join the wave, Spotify acquired Betty Labs, the startup behind the live chat app Locker Room, for around $67.7 million.

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Photo by David Balev on Unsplash

This is the web version of dot.LA’s daily newsletter. Sign up to get the latest news on Southern California’s tech, startup and venture capital scene.

Netflix’s longtime strategy of spending billions to push out a deluge of films will soon slow to a more manageable flow as the streaming giant re-evaluates its priorities, balance sheets and focuses more on making money back on its advertising spend.

Last week, Netflix announced it would lay off some staff as it restructured its film divisions, consolidating its small and midsize picture units. While it’s unclear how many people were laid off we do know the cuts include a couple executives: Lisa Nishimura, former head of standup and original documentaries, and film group vice president Ian Bricke.

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