Netflix runs into major delays with Love is Blind live special

Netflix ran into significant issues with its second live event on Sunday evening. Love Is Blind: The Live Reunion failed to start streaming at its planned 8PM showtime, leading to major consternation from the show’s fans across social media. Netflix acknowledged the problem on Twitter soon after and promised to kick off the presentation within 15 minutes.

That didn’t happen, either. More than an hour later, subscribers were still encountering error screens when trying to watch the event. Netflix has yet to provide an explanation for the technical mishap, only issuing another tweet saying it’d be “worth the wait.” The Verge has reached out for more details.

But already, the Love Is Blind reunion has proven far rockier than the company’s Chris Rock comedy special that aired in early March. And with the delay extending into the 9PM ET hour, Netflix risked losing many viewers to HBO’s Succession. As expected, the company faced an avalanche of complaints and mockery across social media due to the unexpected postponement.

The lengthy delay isn’t a good look for Netflix, which has said it intends to regularly deliver live programming — including comedy specials and awards shows like the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards — as a way to retain subscribers and fend off streaming rivals.