- calendar_today August 30, 2025
Netflix isn’t about to give up its leadership in the on-demand space anytime soon. In fact, the company is doubling down on on-demand. But what about linear TV?
Well, now the company has also decided to do that. In a somewhat surprising move, Netflix has announced it will add linear television from France’s largest commercial broadcaster, TF1 Group, to its platform.
This deal marks a new chapter in the converging world of streaming and traditional television.
TF1 Channels and 30,000+ Hours of Content Coming to Netflix
Beginning next summer, Netflix will stream five linear TV channels from TF1 to its subscribers in France. It’s the first time linear TV content will be added to the streamer, which has so far been all on-demand-only.
But that’s not all.
Netflix will also stream more than 30,000 hours of TF1’s on-demand content by 2026. That means subscribers in France will be able to watch reality hits like The Voice, scripted dramas, live sports, and an assortment of entertainment directly on Netflix — in real-time or on-demand.
The deal, first reported by the Financial Times, may feel like a throwback to the cable age, but it’s actually a forward-looking play by both companies. For Netflix, it’s a way to increase engagement throughout the day and keep subscribers around as competition intensifies across the streaming industry. For TF1, it’s a way to expand its audience and create additional revenue streams.
The companies have already partnered on some content, such as the historical French series Les Combattantes (Women at War), but this agreement takes things to a whole new level.
It’s unclear how much the deal is worth, but both sides appear pleased. “This is a unique opportunity to serve French consumers and create long-term value for our company,” said Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters. “This deal will provide French consumers with even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and stay with us for all of their entertainment.”
Peters went on to note that with no upcoming numbers for the company after a historic net loss of 1 million subscribers in the first quarter, the importance of increased engagement couldn’t be clearer.
TF1 will be able to continue to run ads during its linear programming, which now has a chance to reach Netflix’s 10 million-plus users. That creates new opportunities for advertising revenue and the ability to be seen by French consumers.
TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer characterized the agreement as “historic,” and “unprecedented,” noting that the deal will help TF1 reach new audiences in a fragmented market. Belmer emphasized that the partnership is complementary to TF1’s own streaming platform, TF1+, and access to Netflix’s vast distribution network.
Belmer didn’t hold back when it came to talking about the difficulties traditional media is facing. “Linear TV is in secular decline,” he said. “We’ve tried to compensate for that… but also by trying to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”
This deal may even help Netflix reach the requirements for French regulatory law, which stipulates that streaming services must reinvest 20–25% of their revenue generated in France in local content. The deal is in line with that policy.
TF1’s numbers are pretty impressive. Its TV channels are viewed by around 58 million people each month, and TF1+ reaches another 35 million people each month. Netflix has more than 10 million subscribers in France, as co-CEO Ted Sarandos noted last year.
And there’s room for expansion. If the partnership is successful, Netflix could look to strike similar deals with other broadcasters across Europe — or in the U.S. “This is not an initiative we’d rule out, but we’ll take it one step at a time and see how it works out,” Peters said.
This partnership also comes at a time when broadcast and cable TV is on the decline around the globe. Just this week, Nielsen reported that streaming overtook cable and broadcast television for the first time in history, accounting for 44.8% of all TV viewership in May.
Other linear channels are already looking to YouTube TV, but Netflix may provide a more direct path to the homes of millions. It may even become a model for ailing broadcasters that want to remain relevant — and profitable — in a streaming-first world.
“We already know many French viewers are thinking of Netflix as their primary destination for TV content,” Peters said. “We’re going to be able to make that even more true.”
