Update (4:10 P.M.): Ellen DeGeneres's agent confirmed that the comedian will collaborate with Netflix on a special.
The original post continues below.
Netflix’s comedy cap has been overflowing with feathers lately. Although platforms like HBO and Comedy Central were once the premier destinations for comedians looking to do a stand-up special, Netflix has now established itself as a formidable player, if not the foremost player, in that game. And now, the streaming giant might have found yet another legendary comedian to join its collection: Ellen DeGeneres.
On Wednesday, the two teased fans with the possibility, as Netflix tweeted at DeGeneres, “Looks like it’s been 15 years since you did a stand-up special. . . How about one for Netflix?” From her response, it seems like DeGeneres is already in.
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With recent or planned specials from pretty much all of today’s most popular comedians, including—deep breath—Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Amy Schumer, it stands to reason Netflix is in this game to win it. DeGeneres’s last special, Here and Now, debuted—guess where?—on HBO, one of Netflix’s chief rivals. She filmed that special just before Finding Nemo hit theaters, and it debuted just a month after the film’s premiere. We’ve reached out to Netflix and to DeGeneres’s agent to confirm whether this project is more than an online flirtation, but either way, Netflix has made its intentions clear—and we’re guessing DeGeneres isn’t the only one taking notice.
