diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Broadcasting/Broadcasters/Broadcaster.php b/src/Illuminate/Broadcasting/Broadcasters/Broadcaster.php
index e5fd8fd9fde7..6b71b34cfb76 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Broadcasting/Broadcasters/Broadcaster.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Broadcasting/Broadcasters/Broadcaster.php
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ abstract class Broadcaster implements BroadcasterContract
      * Register a channel authenticator.
      *
      * @param  string  $channel
-     * @param  callable  $callback
+     * @param  callable|string  $callback
      * @return $this
      */
-    public function channel($channel, callable $callback)
+    public function channel($channel, $callback)
     {
         $this->channels[$channel] = $callback;
 
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ protected function verifyUserCanAccessChannel($request, $channel)
             }
 
             $parameters = $this->extractAuthParameters($pattern, $channel, $callback);
+            $handler = $this->normalizeChannelHandlerToCallable($callback);
 
-            if ($result = $callback($request->user(), ...$parameters)) {
+            if ($result = $handler($request->user(), ...$parameters)) {
                 return $this->validAuthenticationResponse($request, $result);
             }
         }
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ protected function verifyUserCanAccessChannel($request, $channel)
      */
     protected function extractAuthParameters($pattern, $channel, $callback)
     {
-        $callbackParameters = (new ReflectionFunction($callback))->getParameters();
+        $callbackParameters = $this->extractParameters($callback);
 
         return collect($this->extractChannelKeys($pattern, $channel))->reject(function ($value, $key) {
             return is_numeric($key);
@@ -84,6 +85,28 @@ protected function extractAuthParameters($pattern, $channel, $callback)
         })->values()->all();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Extracts the parameters out of what the user passed to handle the channel authentication.
+     *
+     * @param callable|string $callback
+     * @return \ReflectionParameter[]
+     * @throws \Exception
+     */
+    protected function extractParameters($callback)
+    {
+        if (is_callable($callback)) {
+            return (new ReflectionFunction($callback))->getParameters();
+        }
+
+        if (is_string($callback)) {
+            return (new \ReflectionClass($callback))
+                ->getMethod('join')
+                ->getParameters();
+        }
+
+        throw new \Exception('Unknown channel handler type.');
+    }
+
     /**
      * Extract the channel keys from the incoming channel name.
      *
@@ -201,4 +224,19 @@ protected function binder()
 
         return $this->bindingRegistrar;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param $callback
+     * @return callable|\Closure
+     */
+    protected function normalizeChannelHandlerToCallable($callback)
+    {
+        return is_callable($callback)
+            ? $callback
+            : function (...$args) use ($callback) {
+                return Container::getInstance()
+                    ->make($callback)
+                    ->join(...$args);
+            };
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ChannelMakeCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ChannelMakeCommand.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7a539a21f7f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ChannelMakeCommand.php
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Illuminate\Foundation\Console;
+
+use Illuminate\Console\GeneratorCommand;
+
+class ChannelMakeCommand extends GeneratorCommand
+{
+    /**
+     * The console command name.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $name = 'make:channel';
+
+    /**
+     * The console command description.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $description = 'Create a new channel class';
+
+    /**
+     * The type of class being generated.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $type = 'Broadcasting Channel';
+
+    /**
+     * Get the stub file for the generator.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected function getStub()
+    {
+        return __DIR__.'/stubs/channel.stub';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the default namespace for the class.
+     *
+     * @param  string  $rootNamespace
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected function getDefaultNamespace($rootNamespace)
+    {
+        return $rootNamespace.'\Broadcasting';
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/stubs/channel.stub b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/stubs/channel.stub
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b5c1b8b93e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/stubs/channel.stub
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace DummyNamespace;
+
+class DummyClass
+{
+    /**
+     * Create a new broadcasting channel instance.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        //
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Authenticates the channel.
+     *
+     * @return mixed
+     */
+    public function join()
+    {
+        //
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Providers/ArtisanServiceProvider.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Providers/ArtisanServiceProvider.php
index d71740814d42..32ef6fc45ef5 100755
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Providers/ArtisanServiceProvider.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Providers/ArtisanServiceProvider.php
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\RouteCacheCommand;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\RouteClearCommand;
 use Illuminate\Console\Scheduling\ScheduleRunCommand;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\ChannelMakeCommand;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\ConfigCacheCommand;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\ConfigClearCommand;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\ConsoleMakeCommand;
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ class ArtisanServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
         'AppName' => 'command.app.name',
         'AuthMake' => 'command.auth.make',
         'CacheTable' => 'command.cache.table',
+        'ChannelMake' => 'command.channel.make',
         'ConsoleMake' => 'command.console.make',
         'ControllerMake' => 'command.controller.make',
         'EventGenerate' => 'command.event.generate',
@@ -400,6 +402,18 @@ protected function registerJobMakeCommand()
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Register the command.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    protected function registerChannelMakeCommand()
+    {
+        $this->app->singleton('command.channel.make', function ($app) {
+            return new ChannelMakeCommand($app['files']);
+        });
+    }
+
     /**
      * Register the command.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Broadcasting/BroadcasterTest.php b/tests/Broadcasting/BroadcasterTest.php
index 66448db8b7d2..c1364ad40f05 100644
--- a/tests/Broadcasting/BroadcasterTest.php
+++ b/tests/Broadcasting/BroadcasterTest.php
@@ -57,6 +57,34 @@ public function testExtractingParametersWhileCheckingForUserAccess()
         Container::setInstance(new Container);
     }
 
+    public function testCanUseChannelClasses()
+    {
+        $broadcaster = new FakeBroadcaster;
+
+        $parameters = $broadcaster->extractAuthParameters('asd.{model}.{nonModel}', 'asd.1.something', DummyBroadcastingChannel::class);
+        $this->assertEquals(['model.1.instance', 'something'], $parameters);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Exception
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage Unknown channel handler type.
+     */
+    public function testUnknownChannelAuthHandlerTypeThrowsException()
+    {
+        $broadcaster = new FakeBroadcaster;
+
+        $broadcaster->extractAuthParameters('asd.{model}.{nonModel}', 'asd.1.something', 123);
+    }
+
+    public function testCanRegisterChannelsAsClasses()
+    {
+        $broadcaster = new FakeBroadcaster;
+
+        $broadcaster->channel('something', function () {
+        });
+        $broadcaster->channel('somethingelse', DummyBroadcastingChannel::class);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\HttpException
      * @expectedExceptionMessage
@@ -129,3 +157,11 @@ public function first()
         //
     }
 }
+
+class DummyBroadcastingChannel
+{
+    public function join($user, BroadcasterTestEloquentModelStub $model, $nonModel)
+    {
+        //
+    }
+}