Netflix has really upped the ante on its live events in recent years, and while its latest nail-biting Skyscraper Live show has taken the streaming platform by storm, it’s been met with a lot of criticism concerning how Netflix decides to handle its live events.
If you’re completely out of the loop, Skyscraper Live was broadcast on Saturday following free solo climber and certified daredevil Alex Honnold on his attempt to climb the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan without the use of ropes – in which he triumphantly succeeded.
‘This is the worst live sports production I’ve ever seen in my life’
Though Netflix has seen success with past live events – mainly its boxing specials such as the recent Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua match – Skyscraper Live wasn’t quite the smash hit Netflix hoped it would be with viewers. It has its production and commentary to blame, which users have described as ‘insufferable’.
The commentary is mainly attributed to the event’s panel of hosts, which included new anchor Elle Duncan, WWE star Seth Rollins, and climber and friend of Honnold Emily Harrington, who couldn’t help themselves but interject with unwanted commentary at times where Honnold was speaking mid-ascend.
Following the event, viewers swarmed Netflix’s Instagram posts as well as rushing to Reddit, where one user even described it as ‘the worst live sports production’ they’d ever seen (see below). But what really got under people’s skin were the filler comments made by Duncan who moderated the panel; ‘Hey Alex, what ya doing?’, one viewer flagged, who was left in complete disbelief.
A big learning curve for Netflix
The underwhelming spectacle of Skyscraper Live shows that there’s a lot of room for growth for Netflix who, if it were to start someone, should start with toning down the over-produced nature of its live events and keep in mind what types of audiences will be tuning in.
As well as the event’s jarring commentary, Netflix fell under criticism for its lack of consideration for climbing enthusiasts who were excited to watch and listen to Honnold’s own commentary as he made his ascent: ‘This was done for the masses, not climbers’, someone commented.
Will Netflix learn from Skyscraper Live? One can hope, but the chances are slim – especially now that the platform is front-loading its dedication to vertical video feeds for its mobile experience which viewers never asked for – just like Duncan’s unlistenable commentary.
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