Netflix is in talks with several cable providers in the US to have its app on their set-top boxes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It would follow a similar move in the UK with Virgin Media. However in the US, cable companies are traditionally seen as little more conservative when it comes to online streaming, so the deal with Netflix could potentially shake up the industry.

US cable providers Comcast and Suddenlink were named as two companies Netflix is talking to, and The Wall Street Journal cautions the deals are preliminary and could take some time to complete. Cable companies in the US and Netflix are seen as rivals, so we suspect there are a lot of details the two want to hammer away at.

Some may question why a cable provider would want Netflix on their hardware, but when you think about it makes a bit of sense. Usually, a user would need to fire up a separate set-top box to stream Netflix. If cable companies could keep viewing inside of one app cable companies could see more engagement with its live content, which Netflix doesn't provide.

Netflix users would still have to pay for a Netflix subscription.

The report also notes Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have talked to YouTube about carrying its app on their set-top boxes. This follows DirecTV and Verizon FiOS from making a similar move.