Reasons for the delay remain unclear. When asked for comment,Netflix advised this masthead to refer to its latest tweet which apologised to users.
The reunion is Netflix’s second foray into live programming,after thelargely successful global broadcast of Chris Rock’s comedy special,Chris Rock:Selective Outrage,on March 4. With no technical hiccups,the stand-up special attracted enough viewers to place it in thestreamer’s top 10 shows in the United States.
As theLive is Blinddebacle played out,Netflix attempted to maintain viewer interest by posting teaser content,including a tweet displaying controversial season four participant Irina Solomonova alongside the caption,“promise #LoveIsBlindLIVE will be worth the wait”.
The show’s host,Vanessa Lachey,tried to salvage the situation by posting avideo to Instagram while seated in the live-shot studio with co-host Nick Lachey and the rest of the cast members,potentially indicating that it was a technical issue rather than tardiness of the cast.
“Apparently y’all,everyone broke the internet to see this reunion,” she wrote in the caption. “We are ready to roll.”
But fans remained unimpressed,criticising not only the service’s delayed broadcast but also itsprices and changes to itspassword sharing capabilities.
The reunion of “Love Is Blind” season four was hotly anticipated by fans,who endured lengthy delays before watching it.Credit:Netflix
Once the reunion finally aired,about 90 minutes after it was scheduled,Netflix issued another apology via Twitter:“To everyone who stayed up late,woke up early ... We are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned.”
Vanessa Lachey also thanked fans for their patience at the end of the broadcast. ”Thank you so much everyone here for being with us,including our audience,including all of you at home,thank you for being patient. That’s it,season four,we did it!“
The fourth season of Love Is Blindfollows a group of single men and women from Seattle,Washington,as they undergo blind dates in an attempt to find love without taking superficial features,such as beauty,into account. The series has already been picked up for a fifth season.
Despite the hiccup,Netflix plans to stream the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony live next year,thereby becoming the first streaming platform to broadcast a major awards show live. All eyes will be on whether that venture lands on time.
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