Netflix Could Be Preparing Its Biggest Change Yet

As a growing number of TV viewers are ditching the cord-cutting approach and returning to traditional cable — thanks in part to increasing subscription fees, show cancellations, and crackdowns on password sharing — Netflix reportedly has a new idea to retain and grow its subscription numbers.

According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, "executives at the company have recently discussed adding live channels that would continuously stream certain programs" in a bid to "bolster engagement".

The publication alleged that there have been active "discussions about adding TV channels and potentially streaming bundles" among its executives. This, ironically, would bring the streaming pioneer much closer in spirit to the traditional cable television viewers ditched to join the explosion of streaming services in the 2000s and 2010s. While subscribers were initially enticed by the large libraries and on-demand model of streaming services, streamers have been struggling in recent years.

Cost was also a major factor with cord-cutting, with subscriptions to streaming services comparatively minuscule compared to cable bills. However, in recent years, hikes in subscription fees, coupled with the number of streaming platforms, even to watch just one television or film series, have ended what was once a bargain for households.

For comparison, a standard version of Netflix charged its subscribers $7.99 a month back in 2011 — which, in 2026, now stands at $19.99 a month, or $26.99 for the later-introduced premium version of the service (via CableTV). With account sharing now restricted, it's no wonder that the number of cable subscribers has increased for the first time in nearly a decade.

Additionally, The Wall Street Journal said that, as stock drops at Netflix, executives at the streamer are considering bids for the broadcasting rights to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cup tournaments. Thanks to its reported $1.5 billion boost from the recent introduction of ads on the platform, the idea of emulating its cable competitors may not be such an outlandish idea.

source https://www.mensjournal.com/news/netflix-could-be-preparing-its-biggest-change-yet