The ground is shifting beneath us, people. Netflix is bringing live TV to its platform. In a new deal, subscribers in France will be able to watch five of the top commercial broadcast channels of the TF1 Group starting summer 2025.

How far Netflix has come. This would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago, when the company set out to kill the old guard and usher in a new era of entertainment.

But now, it’s setting its sights on the future by embracing the past.

The Netflix-TF1 Agreement: A New Partnership

According to the Financial Times, this deal is going to provide French users with a TV watching experience on the platform.

With the help of the new agreement, users will not only be able to access 30,000 hours of on-demand content by the summer of 2026, but they will also be able to access the same content through the following:

The agreement will allow users to have access to all of these programs in addition to many more as a part of Netflix’s massive library.

Beyond these channels, Netflix and TF1 have already had a working relationship with the hit historical drama, Les Combattantes (Women at War). This agreement is a much deeper relationship, as it includes integrating the live channels directly within the Netflix interface. This is a move few other services have attempted to do.

The financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed, but the depth of the partnership indicates it will be a significant investment.

“We see this agreement as an opportunity to provide our members with another way to engage with Netflix every day,” said Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters. “It will also give us more opportunity to showcase our breadth of entertainment to new and existing members alike.”

For TF1, the agreement will also be a gamechanger for advertisers. While its channels will still contain advertisements, TF1 will get an increased viewership and potential appeal to advertisers with the new partnership.

“We have decided to enter into this unique alliance with Netflix, which corresponds perfectly with our strategy,” said Rodolphe Belmer, TF1’s CEO. “As viewing habits evolve towards on-demand consumption and the fragmentation of audiences intensifies, this historic alliance will allow our premium content to reach an audience that has never been seen before.”

He also pointed out that while linear TV is in a state of “secular decline,” it can remain relevant by partnering with platforms like Netflix and benefit from the “power of Netflix.”

A Way to Play by the Rules and Win More Viewers

While the move is largely a marketing and business decision, the partnership does have regulatory benefits as well. Streaming services in France are mandated to reinvest 20 to 25% of the revenue generated from the country into French content. With this deal, Netflix will be able to check off that box while continuing to increase its content library.

It will also add millions of new potential viewers. According to the report, TF1’s channels have 58 million monthly viewers. Its streaming service, TF1+, has 35 million subscribers. On the other hand, Netflix only has around 10 million subscribers in France, co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated in 2022.

In other words, TF1 has an established and active viewership base that will now be exposed to Netflix. And vice versa.

In the end, this partnership will result in a mutually beneficial cycle of engagement and viewership.

Moreover, Netflix might not be done with these types of partnerships. Peters mentioned that the company will see how the TF1 partnership fares before expanding to other markets. If it does well, then it could potentially expand to other European markets and the US.

But the changing dynamics aren’t limited to the content available on Netflix.

As the report highlights, streaming now accounts for 44.8% of total TV viewing, beating out both cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since tracking began in 2021.

While some linear channels are already available on YouTube TV, Netflix’s agreement with TF1 means it’s pulling away from traditional television and integrating it.

Now, it will be able to offer its subscribers a single source for the binge-worthy shows to the sports games and to the live channels, as well.

For many French viewers, Netflix already felt like television. Now, it’s about to become it.