Netflix explores live channels and streaming bundles to counter declining viewing time

The backdrop to these considerations is a noticeably declining viewing time. "Im April lag der Netflix-Anteil an der TV-Nutzung in den USA laut Marktforscher Nielsen bei 7,8 Prozent, dem niedrigsten Wert seit Mai 2025." At the annual business review in the spring, executives reportedly noticed that this metric was falling. Since then, the topic has regularly been the subject of internal meetings. "Genau dieser Wert scheint sich abzuschwächen." An important metric in the industry is engagement – that is, how often users finish the content they have started. "In der Branche gilt das als wichtiges Feedback über die Kundenzufriedenheit." Many users reportedly find nothing suitable while browsing, or drop off after about 15 minutes.

A break with the Hastings doctrine

Co-founder Reed Hastings preached focus and simplicity for years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Should Netflix actually introduce live channels and bundles, it would be a clear break with that line. "Deshalb sollen künftig von Drittanbietern kuratierte Kanäle das Interesse und die auf Netflix verbrachte Zeit steigern." When it comes to sports rights, Netflix also continues to refuse to bid on entire seasons, preferring individual events – according to the report, bids for the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups are being discussed internally.

At the same time, the company is under pressure from investors. "Bei Netflix läuft es derzeit nicht so, wie es sich die Investoren wünschen." In April, the company disappointed with its forecast for the second quarter. The Netflix share has lost more than 40 percent within twelve months. Netflix also recently dropped out of the bidding war for Warner Bros., with Paramount getting the deal instead.

Advertising pressure and sports rights as business

The streaming market leader now competes with Disney, HBO Max and above all YouTube; ad-supported free services such as Tubi and the Roku Channel are also gaining in viewership. In the advertising business, Netflix nevertheless sees an opportunity: "denn Werbung in Live-Übertragungen kann nicht übersprungen werden." Last year, Netflix generated roughly $1.5 billion in revenue from advertising. "2026 soll sich der Werbeumsatz nach eigener Prognose verdoppeln."

Outlook: Quarterly figures in July

In France, subscribers can already watch the linear programming of broadcaster TF1 within Netflix. "Ähnliche Deals plant das Unternehmen dem Bericht zufolge als nächsten Schritt in weiteren Ländern Europas und in Lateinamerika." In early July, Netflix also announced short-form videos from publishers such as BuzzFeed and Condé Nast. In addition, the service is bringing video podcasts and videos onto the platform that previously ran on YouTube.

Los Gatos – pardon: in Los Gatos, efforts are underway to boost engagement once again. "Die Manager des Unterhaltungskonzerns hoffen, dadurch die Nutzerbindung zu steigern." The integration of other streaming services such as Peacock into its own app is also being explored. Amazon and Apple have been running such subscription marketplaces for years. Whether any of these ideas will actually be implemented remains open. Quarterly figures and the next engagement report are due in mid-July.

The Wall Street Journal characterizes the ongoing discussions as "interne Diskussionen." Concrete products, dates or pricing models for the planned live channels and bundles are not known. Industry observers view the report as an indication that Netflix could focus more strongly on the linear TV model and on subscription aggregation in order to avoid losing further market share in the competition with YouTube, Disney+ and the free providers.