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Netflix has struck a landmark deal to show linear TV for the first time with French TV network TF1, as traditional broadcasters struggle with changing viewing habits and fierce competition from streaming giants.
TF1 will use Netflix’s platform to broadcast shows such as Brocéliande and The Voice, as well as major live sports in its home country. France’s largest commercial broadcaster will show all five of its linear channels on Netflix, as well as more than 30,000 hours of TV shows available on demand.
The deal opens the door to more deals between Netflix and traditional TV groups, which are struggling with declining audiences and advertising revenues as more people watch TV online or over streaming services.
Greg Peters, co-chief executive of Netflix, told the Financial Times some French audiences now thought of “TV as Netflix, and so this is an opportunity for us to work with the largest broadcaster in the French media ecosystem [and] producer of great, premium content”.
Peters said the deal would bring different sorts of TV shows to Netflix, such as soap operas, as well as live sports. TF1 shows the French national football team’s matches as well as other sports, including basketball.
Netflix’s co-chief declined to say whether or how subscription and advertising revenues would be shared between the two companies, or whether Netflix had paid an upfront fee for TF1 content.
TF1 Group reaches 58mn monthly viewers through its broadcast channels and serves 35mn users on its TF1+ streaming service. In 2022, Netflix co-chief Ted Sarandos said the streaming platform had surpassed 10mn subscribers in France.
The deal, which will commence in summer 2026, will open up commercial opportunities for TF1, which is reliant on advertising income rather than subscription fees, even for its streaming service.
TF1 Group chief executive Rodolphe Belmer said “as viewing habits shift towards on-demand consumption and audience fragmentation increases, this . . . alliance will enable our premium content to reach unparalleled audiences and unlock new reach for advertisers”.
Those close to the deal said TF1 was highly influential in the European broadcasting industry, which is expected to watch how the partnership works closely.
Other traditional broadcasters have either sought to try to rival Netflix with their own subscription services — albeit without the same global scale — or distribute their content over YouTube or social media sites.
Peters said that given this was the first time Netflix had done such a deal, the group would first see how the partnership worked before exploring further tie-ups with other broadcasters.
Netflix has in the past licensed content from broadcasters such as TF1, but many such groups have been reluctant to share their biggest shows.
Belmer said he did not expect the move to cannibalise TF1’s existing audience, describing it as “highly positive for us”.
“Linear TV is [in] secular decline. We have tried to compensate for that decline, or limit it, by launching our own free-to-view streaming platform . . . but also trying to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”
TF1 is responsible for scripted dramas such as Brocéliande and Erica, soaps such as Demain nous appartient and Ici tout commence, unscripted franchises, including Koh-Lanta and The Voice, as well as live sports matches.
TF1 and Netflix have worked together before on co-productions, such as Les Combattantes, L’Agence and Tout le bleu du ciel.