Netflix will start streaming live channels in France next summer. An unlikely partnership that brings the broadcast content to the popular streaming platform

Netflix has announced it will stream the channels of the French commercial leader TF1 from next summer. Under the agreement, all Netflix subscribers in the country will have access to five channels directly from the app, without having to leave it. Not only that, but the FT reports that by the summer of 2026, the partnership will offer more than 30,000 hours of on-demand content produced by TF1. That means all the TF1 scripted series and shows, such as The Voice, and all the sports content too.

This is a deal that, at first glance, seems to circle back to the point where the streaming giant started. The deal is surprising, but it’s also a sign of Netflix’s change in strategy. For years, the streaming company was one of the driving forces behind the decline of cable TV. Now, it’s embracing some of it and bringing it to its own platform.

TF1 and Netflix are not strangers. In the past, they have collaborated on producing together content like Les Combattantes, a historical French miniseries known in English as Women at War. But this new agreement will be the biggest of its kind for both parties.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but it’s obvious that both companies see this as more than an experiment.

Co-CEO Greg Peters said that the partnership is beneficial for the user and the shareholder. The company, which doesn’t share subscriber numbers anymore, is placing more focus on user engagement instead.

“This partnership with France’s leading broadcaster will give French consumers even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and to stick with us for all of their entertainment,” he said.

On TF1’s side, it’s also a deal that brings new revenue. The broadcaster will still be showing commercials during the programs. And with Netflix’s massive user base, that means more eyeballs than before.

“Together, we are adapting to a world where habits have changed and audiences are fragmented. This is an unprecedented alliance that will enable TF1 to broadcast its programs to an unparalleled audience, on an unparalleled platform, across all distribution channels, in order to enrich its TV, mobile, and on-demand programs,” said Rodolphe Belmer, the CEO of TF1.

He added that the deal also opens a new advertising revenue channel for the broadcaster.

On Netflix’s side, it’s also a deal that helps it achieve the regulatory requirements. In 2021, the French government required streaming platforms to reinvest between 20 and 25% of their local revenues in local content. A deal with the largest broadcaster in the country will definitely help it comply with the requirements.

There’s also a huge opportunity for growth. As the FT reported, TF1’s TV channels are watched by around 58 million people per month, and TF1+’s streaming platform is used by 35 million monthly users. Netflix, on the other hand, had less than 10 million French subscribers as of 2022, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

“If the deal goes well, it will likely be replicated in other countries, too. Peters told FT that Netflix would wait and see how the TF1 integration goes before pursuing other broadcasting deals.

This deal is a sign of a broader trend that’s been emerging for a while. This week, Nielsen reported that, for the first time since it started reporting viewing data in 2021, streaming consumption reached 44.8% of total TV consumption in May, ahead of both cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) combined.

And, of course, as streaming becomes more prominent, it’s likely that broadcasters — the media businesses that used to fight against the rise of the likes of Netflix — may now become a part of them. Instead of being a pushback, it seems that TF1 is moving to the future.

“Linear TV is in secular decline. We have tried to mitigate that through the launch of our own free-to-view platform,” Belmer said. “But also by trying to collaborate and benefit from the tremendous power of Netflix.”

For French users, though, the deal will be completely seamless. “Netflix is often perceived by viewers as TV,” said Peters. “In France, the overlap between the two is higher than anywhere else in the world. For a lot of consumers, Netflix is ‘TV.’” With this new partnership, that perception may come true — not only in France, but in the rest of the world.