Bringing cable-style channels to the platform could help Netflix boost ad revenue at a time when its shares are down over 40% in the last 12 months|Ghaith baazaoui|CC BY-SA 3.0
To boost lagging engagement, Netflix is considering introducing live channels and content bundles, like NBCUniversal’s Peacock, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The move comes as Netflix is concerned that declining viewer engagement, or how long users remain with a title, could lead to more subscription cancellations. The streamer is facing a viewership slump in the second seasons of its flagship series, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Beef, and The Night Agent, among others.
Apart from adding TV channels, the company is considering partnerships with other streaming platforms to sell bundled subscriptions directly through Netflix, mirroring rivals Amazon and Apple.
Reasons behind the move
The company’s stock is down over 40% over the past 12 months. According to Nielsen, its share of TV viewership dropped to 7.8% in April, its lowest level since May 2025.
Netflix is hoping that live TV will boost its ad revenue, which hit $1.5 billion last year and is projected to double this year.
In a bid to increase commercial revenue, Netflix is expanding into low-cost and creator-driven content, including video podcasts and short-form clips. It has also forayed into live sports over the past few years and is reportedly considering bidding for the film discovery platform Letterboxd.
Should the plan become reality, it would mark an ironic turn for a company that helped drive the decline of cable television.