Image Credit: Netflix
Netflix’s experiment with live, appointment-viewing dating shows has hit a major roadblock. The streaming giant has canceled pop the balloon live. Deadline reportsWith a key executive exit, there will not be a second season of the viral hit-turned-live event.
The news comes as part of a broader shift within Netflix’s unscripted division, potentially signaling a move away from a slate of live programming that has failed to capture the massive audiences the streamer had hoped for over the past year. according to deadlineThe series “failed to find much love” among customers.
hosted by vulnerable Star Yvonne Orji, pop the balloon live Premieres in April 2025. The show was based on a viral social media trend where participants would physically burst a balloon to reject a potential suitor. Netflix bet big on the format, making it one of their first entertainment properties to be broadcast live, an effort to create a “watercooler moment” similar to traditional broadcast television. On paper, the concept seemed perfect; It blended an incredibly popular format with a style of reality programming that generally performed well (see). love is blindnow in its tenth season).
The decision to adapt the format was somewhat of a surprise, given its wide availability online. Main versions available on YouTube Arlette Amuli is hosting the American variant and BM officer UK counterparts hosted. Furthermore, this format has been extensively replicated, with British troupe The Sidemen also using it regularly. While the format thrives on platforms like TikTok and Instagram through short clips, the long-form live translation on Netflix clearly didn’t generate the viewership needed to justify a sophomore season.
cancellation of pop a balloon It’s part of a larger narrative about the struggles of Netflix’s live unscripted department over the past year. While sports and WWE have been the main drivers, and live specials like Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady Although successful, his 2025 attempts at weekly live entertainment have mostly failed.
According to trade reports, these disappointments led to the exit of Sahara Bussie as director of the unscripted series at Netflix. Bushue, who joined the company in 2023 and oversaw the live performance series, is leaving the streamer due to continued declining ratings. except for pop a balloonBushue oversaw the recent reboot star search And band formationBoth of these were virtual no-shows in Netflix’s ratings.
Let’s analyze the numbers from Pop the Balloon Live
We did not get specific numbers at the time of release, as the show failed to enter the global top 10. However, data from the Netflix Engagement Report paints a clearer picture, as each episode is listed individually.
While the first episode garnered fewer hours of viewing than other titles in the region, viewership dropped dramatically in the weeks that followed. Looking at the data for the second half of the year, there was clearly no long-term appeal.
The data listed below shows the overall view (H1 + H2) for 2025:
- Episode 1: Get It Poppin’ – 3,500,000 views
- Episode 2: Pop It Like It’s Hot – 1,300,000 views (-63% decline)
- Episode 3: Pop Lock and Drop It – 1,100,000 views
- EP 4: No Pope Left to Give – 900,000 views
- EP 5: Big Pop Energy – 800,000 views
- EP 6: In our pop era – 800,000 views
- Episode 7: I’m Not Popular – 700,000 views
- Episode 8: Pop Off – 700,000 views
As mentioned, the show’s format lives on on YouTube and other social media, where new episodes arrive incredibly frequently, with episodes receiving hundreds of thousands to millions of views.