Apple, Amazon, Netflix to stream FireAid charity concert

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Many of the largest streaming services will broadcast a concert to raise money for victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles, a show headlined by stars such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Paramount Global, Apple Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. will all show the event on their streaming services, part of a consortium of more than a dozen companies. The concert will also be shown in select AMC theatres in the U.S. and made available on the radio and music streaming sites as well. The concert will take place on Jan. 30. Tickets go sale eight days earlier.

The organizers want to make the event available in as many places as possible to maximize exposure and thus the donations. They are prioritizing streaming services so the event can run for as long as it needs to, rather than be limited by the programming schedules of traditional TV networks. Netflix won’t show the event on its namesake streaming service but on its YouTube channel, which has nearly 30 million subscribers.

The L.A. wildfires, which began Jan. 7, have taken at least 25 lives and destroyed 12,000 structures, most of them homes.

The event is being organized by music mogul Irving Azoff and technology billionaire Steve Ballmer with help from concert promoters Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and AEG. They are booking dozens of musicians who will perform at two concert venues in Inglewood: the Forum and Intuit Dome, both owned by Ballmer. Other performers include Green Day, Gwen Stefani and Joni Mitchell.

The event will take place a couple days before the Grammy Awards, an annual celebration of the year’s best music. The recording academy, which runs the awards, is in the process of reimagining the Grammys so that they can also function as a fundraiser for the fire victims.

The Grammys are typically the culmination of a week-long celebration with parties and concerts every night. Most companies have canceled their events this year out of respect for the victims, and will instead donate the money earmarked for the parties to victims.

Azoff and Ballmer have asked the media partners involved with Fireaid to donate money to victims as well. They are coordinating with the Grammys to make it easier for acts that are going to perform at one or both events.

Telethons have been a fundraising tool since the early days of TV. The music industry in particular has long history with charitable events. Live Aid, a 1985 benefit concert for Ethiopian famine victims, produced memorable moments, including singer Phil Collins performing in both London and Philadelphia on the same day.

Other concerts and events across the country are raising funds for those impacted by the L.A. fires.