Netflix is moving into malls

Netflix is planning two “Netflix House” locations for malls

Netflix is joining the ranks of pickleball courts as it tries to make use of all that empty space in America’s malls.

The streaming service said Tuesday that it’s planning its first two “Netflix House” locations in shopping malls — one at the Galleria Dallas and another in the King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia.

Both “experiential entertainment venues” will open in 2025 and occupy spaces formerly held by department stores, giving each location over 100,000 square feet of space, Netflix said.

Netflix said last year that within each space, patrons can expect to find a theme park-like variety of attractions. Back then, the streaming service said people would be able to dine at restaurants themed around Netflix shows and buy corresponding merchandise at shops on the premises.

Netflix’s latest announcement paints an even more vivid picture of what these first locations will look like.

“Imagine waltzing with your partner to an orchestral cover of a Taylor Swift song on a replica of the Bridgerton set — and then walking around the corner to compete in the Glass Bridge challenge from Squid Game,” a post from Netflix said.

Netflix has already offered limited-time events for fans of its shows. It hosted a series of balls in major US cities in coordination with Season 2 of “Bridgerton,” for example.

The company said the Netflix House concept will offer those kinds of experiences year-round. “We’ve launched more than 50 experiences in 25 cities, and Netflix House represents the next generation of our distinctive offerings,” its post read.

Much of America’s retail space, including malls, has emptied since the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to close. And while commercial-real-estate occupancy remains low in many parts of the US, retail landlords and their creditors are usually reluctant to lower rents and fill those storefronts.