- calendar_today August 30, 2025
The biggest streaming service is finally going old-school. Netflix is getting ready to add live broadcast TV to its streaming platform.
Beginning in summer 2025, the platform will start offering French subscribers five of France’s top commercial broadcaster TF1 Group’s channels.
That’s a dramatic shift for a company that’s largely responsible for disrupting television in the first place. Now, it’s turning to the past to do it.
The Netflix-TF1 deal: Streaming Meets live TV
The agreement between Netflix and TF1 will allow Netflix subscribers in France to enjoy a television experience within the streaming platform. The content will include access to the broadcast channels in addition to on-demand programming, which includes more than 30,000 hours of content by summer 2026.
The deal will also include access to hits like reality show The Voice, scripted dramas, and live sports, giving viewers more choice and expanding Netflix’s presence in France.
The two companies have worked together before, partnering on the French historical drama Les Combattantes (International: Women at War). However, the new agreement is deeper than a co-production. The deal will integrate live broadcast TV directly into the streaming interface — something most streaming services haven’t even tried to do.
The financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, but it appears the partnership will be long-term.
“Bringing live TV into the home on Netflix is a huge opportunity for us to increase daily viewing occasions, which is one of our most important metrics now that we don’t report subscribers,” co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement. “By teaming up with France’s largest broadcaster, we will provide French consumers with even more reasons to visit Netflix every day and stay with us for all their entertainment.”
The deal is a game-changer for TF1, too. It gives the broadcaster greater reach and exposure to potential advertisers as its live channels continue to air commercials.
TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer said the partnership is part of the company’s digital strategy. “As linear TV consumption evolves towards on-demand consumption and as fragmentation increases, this unprecedented alliance will allow our premium content to reach unparalleled audiences,” he said in a statement.
He added that linear TV is in “secular decline” but that the partnership could keep it alive by “reaping the tremendous power of Netflix.”
Netflix is Gaining more than just a Foothold in France
Netflix is also gaining in terms of meeting regulations. Under French law, streaming platforms must reinvest 20 to 25% of revenue generated in France in local content. By working with TF1, the company can continue to meet that requirement while gaining more content for its library.
There’s also a massive growth opportunity for the company. The broadcaster’s five channels reach 58 million viewers per month. Its streaming service, TF1+, has 35 million users. Netflix, meanwhile, has just over 10 million subscribers in France, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos in 2022.
The integration of live television into the streaming service could bring in a new audience for TF1 and vice versa, creating a virtuous cycle of attention and visibility.
That might be the tip of the iceberg. Peters said the company will see how the TF1 deal performs before looking to replicate it elsewhere. If it works, it could be a model that expands to other European countries and the US.
That shift comes as viewers’ habits change. Streaming accounted for 44.8% of total TV viewing in May, topping cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since Nielsen began tracking in 2021.
Some linear channels are already on streaming services like YouTube TV, but the addition of live broadcast channels into Netflix’s interface is a step further. Streaming services are no longer just displacing television — they’re integrating it.
With the TF1 deal, Netflix may be establishing itself as the one-stop shop for any type of entertainment, whether it’s the next binge-worthy series or a live sports game or show.
For many French viewers, Netflix is already television. Now, it’s about to become the whole thing.
