Netflix is bringing broadcast TV to its platform. In an ironic turn of events, the company that single-handedly killed off the linear television business is embracing the very same thing.

Starting this summer, the company will stream France’s largest commercial broadcaster’s programming on its service in France.

It’s a move that will herald the next chapter of streaming and broadcast TV’s symbiotic relationship.

TF1 Channels and 30,000+ Hours of Content Coming to Netflix

Starting next summer, Netflix users in France will be able to stream five TF1 linear channels on the service. Netflix, which currently only offered its on-demand library, will be adding linear television to its library for the first time.

That’s not the only part of the partnership, though. The group’s over 30,000 hours of on-demand content will also be coming to Netflix, with the company saying its customers will be able to stream “hit shows such as The Voice and scripted series as well as live sports and a broad spectrum of entertainment programming on demand and in real time” on Netflix.

Though the agreement was first reported by the Financial Times, the two companies have previously worked together on the French series Les Combattantes (Women at War).

Though the partnership isn’t exclusive, it’s clear it represents a larger agreement between the two companies, which share the financial terms of the agreement. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters described the partnership as a way to engage its subscribers daily as competition grows across the streaming landscape.

“This deal marks another step in our efforts to further increase engagement and subscription levels for Netflix,” he said. “With its market-leading French content, this collaboration will bring linear content to our service for the first time and gives French consumers even more reasons to come to Netflix every day, and stay with us for all of their entertainment.”

For TF1, the deal means new ad inventory, more users, and a fresh audience.

Though the two companies have worked together on other shows, the scope of this deal takes it to a new level. There are no details about the financial aspects of the agreement. But both executives indicated that this is not a one-off.

“We see this agreement as a long-term commitment, a strategic choice,” Peters said.

“We want to grow the content relationship between Netflix and TF1. There’s an opportunity to develop more originals in France and maybe develop some international ones. This is an experiment that we want to do together, to see what works best.”

For TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer, this partnership represents another big deal for his company. “This agreement is unprecedented in scale, scope, and innovation, bringing France’s largest content company together with Netflix,” he said. “For TF1, it will provide a new source of audience in a fast-growing and highly fragmented market.”

Notably, the agreement represents an opportunity to deliver more of TF1’s programming to new audiences, given the challenges traditional TV is facing.

“Linear TV is in secular decline,” he said. “We have tried to compensate for that, both by increasing our own platform (TF1+) and to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”

Belmer described the partnership as complementary. “Together, our platforms and services will better serve the needs of all French viewers and further reinforce TF1 Group’s leadership position,” he said. “Both our viewers and those of Netflix deserve the best experience in terms of both linear and on-demand offerings.”

Belmer’s words should not be taken lightly. “Linear TV is in secular decline,” he said. “We have tried to compensate for that, both by increasing our own platform (TF1+) and to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”

TF1’s numbers are substantial. The company’s TV channels reach nearly 58 million viewers each month, while its streaming platform TF1+ has nearly 35 million viewers a month. For comparison, Netflix has 10 million subscribers in France, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos in 2022.

The agreement could help Netflix meet its obligation to the French government. As we reported, the country requires streamers to reinvest 20–25% of the money they make in the country into local content. This deal neatly checks that box.

There’s also an opportunity for more deals. “The potential for this to be a template for deals in other parts of Europe or even in the U.S. is there, but we’ll have to see how it works first,” Peters said.

While other linear channels are taking a page out of the cable playbook, starting with YouTube TV, the TF1-Netflix partnership takes a more direct approach. The agreement gives Netflix access to the living rooms of millions of viewers without needing to acquire or negotiate a deal with the platforms on which they consume TV.

This strategic move comes as Nielsen reports that streaming viewership has now surpassed both cable and broadcast television. This week, the measurement firm reported that streaming accounted for 44.8% of total TV viewership in May. That’s higher than both cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since Nielsen began measuring streaming in 2021.

The Netflix-TF1 partnership also represents a new pathway to getting in the living rooms of millions of viewers, who may no longer have access to their service through cable and are instead tuning into their TVs for content online. It could be a blueprint for struggling channels to keep relevant — and generate revenue — in the streaming-first age.

“The bottom line is that, as our streaming consumption continues to grow, many people in France are already treating Netflix as their TV service,” Peters said. “We expect this to be a service they can turn to for content every day.”