Netflix hasn’t broken the talk show formula, but perhaps it could borrow from existing hits on YouTube.
According to Bloomberg, the streamer is in talks with BuzzFeed to produce live episodes of its popular YouTube talk show “Hot Ones.” Netflix and BuzzFeed did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
The show began in 2015, and its format of host Shaun Evans interviewing celebrity guests as they try to eat increasingly spicy chicken wings has been surprisingly enduring, with new episodes attracting tens of millions of viewers on YouTube. (Evans is also said to be hosting live Netflix episodes.)
As traditional late-night talk shows struggle with declining ratings and shrinking budgets, “Hot Ones” has become a regular stop on the promotional circuit for pop stars and Hollywood actors. BuzzFeed, which acquired “Hot Ones” through its acquisition of Complex, reportedly tried to sell the show as its debt came due at the end of the year, but failed.
Meanwhile, Netflix has experimented with the talk show format intermittently, with two seasons of Chelsea Handler’s show, for example. Netflix’s biggest achievement so far has been the recent “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In LA,” which was absolutely hilarious, but seemingly designed as a short-lived, messy experiment. It’s unclear whether there will be a second season.
Why turn a pre-recorded “Hot Ones” into a live show? The promise of watching celebrities melt down without the protection of editing can set these specials apart from regular programming. Plus, Netflix has experimented with live content, from stand-up specials to reality TV reunions to WWE “Raw.”
