Netflix’s Bela Bajaria Remains Bullish on Live Despite Tyson/Paul Hiccups, Says They’re Ready for the NFL — And More to Come In Global Territories

As a seasoned movie buff with decades of binge-watching under my belt and a knack for predicting the next big thing, I must say that Netflix’s ambitious live output expansion leaves me nothing but impressed. The Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight debacle was just a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things, considering their upcoming NFL games on Christmas Day and the much-anticipated WWE Monday Night Raw.


Over the coming months, Netflix is significantly increasing its live programming, and despite some technical issues experienced during the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight last weekend, Bela Bajaria, the chief content officer, expressed confidence about the platform’s readiness for upcoming major live events. During a press conference on Monday morning at Netflix’s International Showcase (more details soon), Bajaria stated that the streaming service feels well-prepared for its next significant live event: Two NFL games on Christmas Day, featuring Beyoncé performing during the halftime show of the second game between Houston and Baltimore.

Bajaria stated that the Netflix engineering team had always planned a significant project. As soon as they embarked on this venture, they began addressing problems. Initially, buffering and freezing occurred during earlier events, but it seemed that most of these issues were rectified by the time Tyson and Paul squared off.

Inquired about whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell showed any worries following the fight, Bajaria jokingly stated that he enjoyed witnessing “the ability of Netflix to attract an enormous audience to a significant sporting event.” Over the weekend, Netflix announced that approximately 60 million households worldwide watched it; they plan to share more detailed figures later this week.

Apart from the National Football League, Netflix is also gearing up for the premiere of the live, weekly “WWE Monday Night Raw,” starting January 6 on their streaming platform. This kickoff event will take place at the Inuit Dome in Inglewood. (Bajaria hinted at the possibility of supplementary programming on Netflix to attract WWE fans; it so happens that the second season of “Squid Game” is scheduled for release just a few days prior, on December 26.) Furthermore, in late 2025, comedian John Mulaney is expected to host a live, weekly talk/variety show on Netflix, though Bajaria did not provide any specific launch dates.

As a film enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that we’re not just stopping at our current horizons. In fact, I’m eagerly seeking to broaden Netflix’s live presence in various regions beyond our existing footprint. For instance, you might have caught the live “Love Is Blind” reunion show in Brazil. However, before diving into other territories, we wanted to solidify our live strategy here in the U.S. Now, I can tell you that the possibilities are truly exciting, and we’re brimming with brilliant ideas. We’re currently working on defining the lineup for these new ventures. Stay tuned!

Bajaria was meeting with press to outline Netflix’s current strategy for non-English titles, sharing stats such as the fact that 80% of its customers watch Korean-originated content, and that more than 70% of its viewership watches programs that is either dubbed or subtitled. (Netflix, available in more than 190 countries, currently dubs in 36 languages and provides subtitles in 33 languages.)

Bajaria mentioned that this isn’t only beneficial for the audience, but also for the creators. This is because their stories can potentially reach an even broader global audience.

In the United States, as per Bajaria’s report, about 13% of the viewing time on Netflix is dedicated to non-English content, with Korean, Spanish, and Japanese shows taking the lead.

On stage at Bajaria, we had Minyoung Kim from the Asia Pacific region’s content division, Paco Ramos representing the Latin America region, Monika Shergill for India, and Larry Tanz overseeing the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions.

In the list of upcoming titles, we find “Love Is Blind” returning for its French version titled “Love Is Blind: France”, along with “Physical 100: Asia” from South Korea, and a new, as yet unnamed series produced by Shah Rukh Khan within the realm of Bollywood, directed by Aryan Khan.

Besides mentioning their current projects, Bajaria and her team also pointed out some exciting future ventures they have planned. These include adaptations of “The Leopard” from Italy, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” from Colombia, “Senna” from Brazil, “Last Samurai Standing” from Japan, “Alcaraz” from Spain, and the second season of the Korean phenomenon “Squid Game.

Bajaria stated that if you enjoyed Season 1, you’ll surely appreciate Season 2 as well, because it not only maintains the essence of what made the first season great but also introduces creative elements that fans have been anticipating.

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2024-11-19 17:17