Netflix Eyes Live TV as Disney+ Weighs a Free Tier While Traditional TV Makes a Comeback

Netflix executives are considering adding live, always-on channels and selling bundles that include subscriptions to other streaming services through Netflix’s platform, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. 

Meanwhile, Disney is thinking about making some of its Disney+ content available for free, Business Insider reported.

These discussions are happening as streaming giants move further away from what originally made them so different from traditional TV and cable.

When early streaming platforms like Netflix first appeared, they promised to free us from traditional television. They sold us on watching TV on our schedule, without channel surfing or cable bundles, and, in the beginning, with very few ads.

Many people embraced the new model, becoming enthusiastic cord-cutters who put the days of expensive cable behind them.

Now, Netflix is reportedly making big changes to the very model that made it the powerhouse it is today. 

At this rate, all that’s missing is a printed TV guide. 

While the news has made Netflix the butt of several jokes on social media, there may be a practical reason why streaming companies keep rediscovering features that traditional TV has used for decades. 

On-demand choice gives viewers more control, but it can also make deciding what to watch feel like work. A person opens an app, faces endless choices, and still can’t decide what to watch, so they just leave. 

Always-on channels remove decision-making from the equation. You can just lean back and watch whatever is already playing. 

Free programming gives people a reason to open an app without locking themselves into another monthly subscription. 

And the longer people stay in one app, the less time they spend watching YouTube, traditional TV, or a rival streaming service.

Netflix Is Rebuilding the Lean-Back TV Experience

Netflix’s interest in always-on channels comes as the company takes a closer look at how much time subscribers spend watching content on the app. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that the topic of engagement had come up repeatedly at Netflix after internal signs suggested it was on the decline. The company’s share of TV viewing also fell to 7.8% in April, its lowest level since May 2025.

At the same time, free ad-supported services such as Tubi and The Roku Channel have been gaining viewers with linear channels designed for more casual viewing.

The changing habits of TV viewers have put Netflix in an interesting position.

The platform has a huge on-demand library, one that helped transform how people watch TV. However, its competitors have shown that many people still like the simplicity of turning something on and just letting it play. 

Live channels could also help Netflix’s growing advertising business. The company generated about $1.5 billion in ad revenue last year and expects that figure to double in 2026, according to the Journal. Live programming offers another advantage to advertisers: viewers can’t simply skip past commercials.

So the return of channels isn’t about nostalgia for old-school TV. Netflix gets another format to keep people watching while creating more opportunities to sell ads.

A Free Tier Could Help Disney Compete for Viewers Who Won’t Pay

Disney is facing a different version of the same problem.

While Netflix is looking for a way to keep its subscribers watching longer, Disney is competing for viewers who may not want to pay for another streaming service at all. 

Free streaming services have been gaining ground. In June, Nielsen reported that streaming accounted for 47.6% of total TV viewing in April, with YouTube alone taking a 13.4% share and Tubi reaching a platform-best 2.3%.

People can stream YouTube, Tubi, The Roku Channel, and other free services for hours without paying for any additional recurring subscriptions. 

With a free tier, Disney could compete for viewers who’ve reached their limit on paid monthly subscriptions while keeping Disney+ in front of former subscribers who cancel.

According to Business Insider, Disney product and technology chief Adam Smith brought up the idea of free-tier content during an internal streaming town hall. However, the company hasn’t announced a timeline or said anything about how much content might be free. 

Bundles Could Give Netflix More Control Over How People Subscribe

Netflix may also be bringing back one of cable TV’s most familiar features: the bundle.

According to The Wall Street Journal’s report, Netflix is exploring bundles that would include other paid services, such as Peacock. Netflix could sell those subscriptions directly through its app.

For years, streaming gave people an escape from cable packages filled with channels they didn’t want and rarely watched.

Then, almost every major media company launched its own service, scattering movies, shows, and sports across multiple apps. As a result, people ended up subscribing to several platforms and dealing with more monthly bills. 

Bundles are one way to bring some of those pieces back together on a single platform. 

Netflix wouldn’t necessarily have to own all the content. It could just become more involved in how viewers find, buy, and manage other services. That would give the company a bigger role in the relationship between viewers and the wider streaming market.

Still, the irony is pretty hard to miss. Streaming spent years getting rid of the schedules, channels, commercials, and bundles that defined the traditional television-watching experience. 

Now, some of the biggest companies in the industry are rediscovering why the original model has lasted for so long. 

While the technology has certainly changed, the battle for our attention has not.