Podcast Summary: Inside Netflix’s Push to Stream Live Events

WSJ Tech News Briefing | January 20, 2026
Host: Peter Ciampelli | Guests: Ben Fritz, Isabel Busquette

Episode Overview

This episode of the WSJ Tech News Briefing explores two timely tech topics:

1. How Matthew McConaughey is using broad trademarks to battle AI-generated deepfakes and protect his likeness.
2. Netflix’s ambitious push into live streaming—its technical hurdles, major broadcasts, and future plans—detailed through exclusive interviews with Netflix executives and reporting by Isabel Busquette.

1. Matthew McConaughey and the Fight Against AI Deepfakes (00:18–04:25)

Key Discussion Points

• Celebrity Deepfakes on the Rise:
  The proliferation of AI tools has led to more celebrity deepfakes, compelling high-profile figures like Tom Hanks, Taylor Swift, and now Matthew McConaughey to seek new legal protections.

• McConaughey’s Trademark Strategy:

  • McConaughey registered eight very broad trademarks encompassing his image, voice, and even famous catchphrases.
  • Quote:

    “One is of him basically looking at the camera in front of a Christmas tree. Another... him standing out on a porch. And then a few... of him talking, including one where he says his famous line from Dazed and Confused.”
    (Ben Fritz, 01:18–01:33)

  • The aim: Use these trademarks to curb the spread of unauthorized AI fakes, especially where existing state “right of publicity” laws fall short—particularly with “gray area” content straddling creative and commercial uses online.

• Legal Uncertainty:

  • Trademarks could grant access to federal court, but it’s largely untested whether such broad marks on a person’s likeness can be enforced.
  • Quote:

    “It’s untested to have such a broad trademark on a human being... if somebody decides to fight them about it and it goes to a federal court, they’re not sure how a judge is going to rule but they want to try.”
    (Ben Fritz, 02:27–02:46)

• Limits of Trademark Protection:

  • Trademarks mainly apply to commercial uses. Creative fan-made content with no ads would be hard to stop, but outright commercial misappropriation (e.g., a fake McConaughey promoting a product) would be illegal.
  • Quote:

    “If you create a fake version of Matthew McConaughey who's advertising the new McDonald's value meal, clearly that would be illegal. And there’s a lot of stuff in the middle between those and that gray area is where actors are concerned.”
    (Ben Fritz, 03:19–03:35)

• Widespread Concern, Ongoing Push for Federal Legislation:
  McConaughey is the first actor with these trademarks for this purpose, but many industry figures want clearer federal rules.

Notable Quotes

• “All right, all right, all right.” (Peter Ciampelli, 01:33)
• “Many, many actors and musicians are very concerned about AI fakes.” (Ben Fritz, 03:57–04:03)

2. Inside Netflix’s Live Streaming Ambitions (05:16–10:30)

Key Discussion Points

The New Streaming Battleground (05:16–06:18)

• Major Players:
  YouTube, Amazon Prime, and other streamers are also racing to dominate live event streaming.

• A Difficult Technical Feat:
  Delivering live events at broadcast TV scale—reliably, over the open Internet—is far tougher than standard on-demand streaming.

  Quote:

  “They're all realizing that the technology needed to deliver live events, live streaming, over the Internet to millions of people... is a really hard thing to do.”
  (Isabel Busquette, 05:46–06:18)

Netflix’s Biggest Challenge: The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Fight (06:18–07:10)

• Overwhelmed by Demand:
  The November 2024 boxing event attracted 65 million viewers—far beyond Netflix’s previous record.

• System Strain:
  Glitches and outages plagued the broadcast as users repeatedly logged in and out, compounding stress on Netflix’s infrastructure.

  Quote:

  “People logged out and then were trying to log back in because they thought that would make it easier. But that actually put more stress on Netflix’s systems.”
  (Isabel Busquette, 06:56–07:10)

Recent Successes and Current Operations (07:10–07:41)

• Over 200 Live Events and Counting:
  Netflix’s acquisition of WWE Monday Night rights provided weekly live streaming practice—typically spending less strain than special mega-events.
• Smooth Execution at Moderate Scale:
  The company now capably handles audiences up to 40 million for recurring broadcasts.

Why Streaming Live is Harder Than TV (07:41–09:35)

• TV vs. Internet:

  • TV uses closed, operator-controlled networks; internet streaming deals with unpredictable public networks and shared bandwidth.

• Technical Workflow:

  • Your device requests the stream from the nearest “Netflix appliance” (a local server).
  • Each unique session is optimized for the user’s device and connection quality.
  • The biggest challenge: unpredictable demand, geographic spikes, and technical uncertainty in a field new to Netflix.

  Quote:

  “When you’re trying to do something over the open Internet, it’s a totally different ballgame... you sort of get around it by pre planning, but there’s only so much pre planning you can do when you’re sort of entering a new domain.”
  (Isabel Busquette, 08:25–08:59)

What’s Next for Netflix? (09:35–10:30)

• International Expansion:
  Netflix aims to host more global live events, starting with a skyscraper-scaling stunt in Taipei.

• Enhanced Monitoring:
  Their California live event operations center will soon be joined by new centers in the UK and Asia, designed to enable real-time problem tracking and management across time zones.

  Quote:

  “They're actually gearing up to open two more live operations centers. One is going to be in the UK and one is going to be in Asia, and that's where they're looking to handle more international events from.”
  (Isabel Busquette, 10:11–10:26)

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Quote | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:33 | “All right, all right, all right.” – Peter Ciampelli, referencing McConaughey’s classic line | | 05:46 | “They're all realizing that the technology needed to deliver live events... is a really hard thing to do.” – Isabel Busquette | | 06:56 | “People logged out and ... that actually put more stress on Netflix’s systems.” – Isabel Busquette| | 08:25 | “When you're trying to do something over the open Internet, it's a totally different ball game.” – Isabel Busquette | | 10:11 | “...gearing up to open two more live operations centers. One in the UK and one in Asia...” – Isabel Busquette |

Episode Takeaways

• Celebrity IP Law is Rapidly Evolving:
  With AI deepfakes proliferating, high-profile actors are testing new legal strategies like broad trademarks to protect likeness, but legal precedent is unclear.

• Live Streaming = The Last Streaming Frontier:
  As Netflix and rivals rush to capture live event audiences, surging demand reveals the unique complexities and infrastructure demands of internet broadcasts.

• Netflix’s Status:
  The company has learned from missteps, gained reliability at moderate scale, and is now poised to internationalize its live offerings—with a major technical focus on agility and speed of response.

For listeners interested in the shifting dynamics of intellectual property law, the challenges of live video delivery, or the future of streaming media, this episode offers an inside look at the stakes and hurdles facing both celebrities and Silicon Valley titans alike.