In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, Netflix is planning to offer live broadcast TV. Come summer 2025, Netflix will roll out five of France’s largest commercial broadcaster TF1 Group’s linear channels to its platform.

The move marks a 180 for Netflix, a company that was instrumental in dismantling TV — and is now borrowing its playbook.

Netflix and TF1: A New Partnership

As per the Financial Times, under the partnership, Netflix will provide its French users with the familiar experience of TV within the modern streaming service. The live channels won’t just be live streams of the channels, though — users will also have access to more than 30,000 hours of on-demand content from TF1 by the summer of 2026.

This includes popular reality shows like The Voice, drama series, and live sports — giving Netflix users more choices in entertainment and expanding the platform’s catalog in France.

Netflix and TF1 have worked together in the past — the companies co-produced French historical drama Les Combattantes (Women at War). But this agreement goes beyond a joint production. It’s the deep integration of live TV into the streaming interface — something most streaming services haven’t tried before.

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the magnitude of the deal indicates a long-term partnership.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters referred to the deal as an opportunity to increase “daily engagement,” a metric the company no longer shares. “By partnering with France’s leading broadcaster,” he said, “we will give French consumers even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and stay with us for all their entertainment.”

For TF1, the partnership is a win in terms of exposure and advertising. Its linear channels will continue to air commercials, which means TF1 will have a broader reach and be more attractive to advertisers.

TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer described the alliance as a significant step in the company’s digital strategy. “As on-demand viewing replaces linear viewing and fragmentation of audiences accelerates,” he said, “this unprecedented alliance will allow our premium content to reach unmatched audiences.”

He added that although linear TV was in “secular decline,” the partnership could help keep the broadcaster relevant and continue to thrive by “taking advantage of the great drive provided by Netflix.”

How Netflix benefits from the deal?

But Netflix also benefits from the partnership in terms of regulations. In France, streaming platforms are required to reinvest between 20 to 25 percent of their revenue earned in the country in local content. By working with TF1, Netflix will be able to meet that requirement while also expanding its catalog with familiar, culture-specific programming.

There’s also a huge opportunity for growth in terms of viewership. TF1’s linear channels already draw 58 million viewers per month, and its streaming platform TF1+ has 35 million users. Compared to that, Netflix only has about 10 million subscribers in France, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos in 2022.

The integration could introduce TF1’s audience to Netflix — and vice versa — creating a positive feedback loop of engagement and exposure.

And this could be just the start. Peters noted that the company will observe the TF1 deal’s performance before potentially expanding the model in other markets. If it works out, the partnership could expand to other European countries and even the U.S.

As the way consumers consume TV evolves, Netflix’s integration of live broadcast channels makes sense. According to Nielsen, in May, streaming became the largest share of TV viewing at 44.8%, exceeding cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since the company began tracking the category in 2021.

Some linear channels are already available on platforms like YouTube TV, but Netflix’s integration of live broadcast channels is a wider change. Streaming platforms aren’t just destroying TV — they’re taking it over.

With the TF1 deal, Netflix may position itself as the one-stop shop for all entertainment — from bingeable series to live sports and real-time TV.

For many French viewers, Netflix already feels like TV. Now, it’s becoming one.