Tom Brady Set for Netflix's First-Ever Live Roast
'The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady" will be a first for the quarterback and for Netflix.
Netflix is hosting its first live roast, and the main course will be NFL legend Tom Brady. Netflix released a trailer for the special this week, showing Brady walking in front of the Kia Forum in Los Angeles with CGI flames engulfing the venue. It is being billed as the "GROAT" – "Greatest Roast of All Time."
The roast will air live on Sunday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET, and will be hosted by comedian Kevin Hart. In voiceover during the trailer, Hart said: "The man. The arena. The roast of Tom Brady, live on Netflix. No helmet, no mercy." Brady responded: "No f-ing problem." Finally, comedian Jeffrey Ross appeared and said: "We're coming for you, pretty boy," to which Brady responded: "I'm un-roastable." Ross will be the "Roastmaster General" for this event, but the other people who will be roasting Brady are still a mystery – even to Brady.
"They don't tell me who else we got on the panel, but it's going to be a great night," Brady said during an appearance on The Today Show on Monday. "I played in the NFL so I'm not worried about a bunch of comedians – trust me."
Even as an NFL quarterback, Brady stands out in particular as a public figure of note. Sports fans will love jokes about his record on the field, his last-minute switch from the Patriots to the Buccaneers, and his refusal to retire. Even those who don't watch football will be able to keep up with jokes about his infamous wellness routine, his love life, kissing his children on camera, and so on.
Celebrity roasts are known for being some of the most explicit and shocking events on TV, and in the age of streaming, things can go even further. According to Netflix, this one will air live and will be completely unedited and uncensored. There will be a lineup of surprise guests as well, so we likely won't know the full cast until the special airs.
Netflix has had great success with stand-up specials, sketch comedy shows and variety shows, so it's no surprise that they're getting into the celebrity roast space. Still, live events are relatively new for the streamer, and the company's resistance to advertising could work against it here.
Luckily, this roast will be couched within a week of other comedy events. It is part of the "Netflix Is a Joke Fest," which will feature many talented comedians from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 12. The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady will stream live on Sunday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix.