On Wednesday, Netflix announced a partnership between live streaming and on-demand content with TF1, the French Television group. This is the first-ever deal in the world for Netflix to stream French TV. The service will be introduced in summer 2026. However, the financial details of the partnership with TF1 have yet to be announced.
Netflix subscribers in France will also enjoy TF1’s five TV channels and content from the group. Surprisingly, you do not have to leave the Netflix environment on your smart TV or other device to access it. Let’s explore more about this.
About TF1 Group
TF1 Group is a leading French media firm, specialising in television channels, streaming services, and content production. The Group develops sustainable business models to offer French-speaking viewers quality free-to-air entertainment and news. The TF1 group serves around 58 million audiences in a month through its broadcast channels and 35 million users on the TF1+ streaming service. The company also manages more than 50 production firms and labels across France and global markets through studio TF1, making it a leading player in content creation and distribution.
About Netflix
Netflix is one of the ruling entertainment services worldwide, with more than 300 million subscribers in more than 190 nations. Members enjoy TV series, movies, and games across diverse genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as they wish, anytime, anywhere, and modify their plans at any time.
What Will Be Included In The Deal?
Netflix to Stream French TV deal will include sporting events, soap operas, and reality shows like The Survivor-style Koh Lanta. TF1 and Netflix have long partnered to produce the 2019 historical drama ‘Le Bazar de la Charité’.
However, the top private broadcaster of France and one of the largest across Europe has significant ambitions for TF1+ to make a footprint and make a more intimate relationship with Netflix.
TF1 streaming channels seek to become the most famous free service in France and the broader French-speaking world. TF1+ is and will stay at the centre of the strategy as announced by the TF1 chief executive. The chief executive insisted that the deal may not risk cannibalisation of TF1+ and was purely complementary in the media landscape of fragmenting audiences and increasing on-demand viewing. He discussed that TF1 groups had conducted an analysis and anticipated a significantly net positive business impact.
On the Netflix side, TF1 is known for sports, with live areas that do not operate significantly currently, as cited by Peters. He applauded the quality of the group’s scripted programming.
Netflix stated that it had 10 million subscribing households in France in 2022 and has noted growth since then without naming particular figures.
The partnership between Netflix and TF1, allowing Netflix to stream French TV, can be compared to CBS’s grant to Netflix in the US or ITV in the UK. It is potential since TF1 networks have around 24% of the French linear TV market, bigger than the local US market share for NBC, CBS, ABC, or Fox.
Since more customers are moving from their previous TV to streaming on-demand content, Netflix to stream French TV could create an avenue for similar deals to help wrestling channels expand their audiences by piggybacking off the streaming services that the audiences prefer.
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