Netflix explores launching always-on live TV channels

Netflix could be planning always-on live TV channels, according to The Wall Street Journal, a US business newspaper, which reports the company appears to be exploring the format as a way to keep subscribers engaged. Netflix is considering launching channels that would continuously stream content, giving subscribers something to tune into 24/7, rather than requiring them to choose a specific show and letting them instead leave a channel running in the background for hours at a time. The reported plan would place Netflix in more direct competition with free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) platforms such as Pluto TV and Tubi, which already run continuous channels at no cost to viewers. Live programming also typically limits viewers’ ability to skip commercials, a dynamic that could benefit Netflix’s advertising business specifically.

The WSJ also reports that Netflix is exploring bundles — packages that combine multiple streaming services — an approach similar to offerings from Apple and Amazon. Comcast’s Peacock is among the services discussed as a potential partner, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the WSJ.

These reported moves come as Netflix confronts signs of slowing viewer engagement. According to Nielsen, the audience-measurement firm, the streamer accounted for 7.8% of TV viewing in April. Earlier this week, Bloomberg, the financial news agency, reported that Netflix has become increasingly concerned about audience declines between the first and second seasons of many of its original shows, raising questions about the company’s ability to sustain long-term hits. The reported plans follow other engagement efforts Netflix has already rolled out, including short-form video, video podcasts, and a gaming app for kids.

Separately, Variety, an entertainment-industry publication, reported on Friday that Netflix is in talks to buy Letterboxd, a social platform for movie fans, in what would be another reported move toward keeping users engaged with the service. Together, the live-channel concept, the bundle discussions, and the Letterboxd talks point to a company testing several approaches at once as it works to hold subscribers’ attention amid slipping engagement.

Why it matters

These moves suggest Netflix could be shifting from a purely on-demand model toward traditional TV strategies such as linear channels and bundles, an approach aimed at protecting its ad business and retaining users as audience attention fragments.