Business
Netflix cooperates with TF1 – Linear TV meets streaming platform
Netflix integrates linear television for the first time – TF1 uses the platform to expand reach and advertising revenue.
Netflix will show linear television on its platform for the first time in the summer of 2026 – and not with just any partner, but with TF1, France's largest private TV channel. As part of a strategic agreement, TF1 will make all five of its linear channels and over 30,000 hours of on-demand content available on Netflix. This includes popular formats like The Voice, Brocéliande, as well as live broadcasts of games featuring the French national football team.
The step marks a change of course for Netflix, which has so far only offered on-demand content. For TF1, on the other hand, the partnership opens up new distribution channels and additional reach - a decisive advantage in a market where traditional television broadcasters have been suffering from declining viewer numbers and falling advertising revenues for years.
The commercial details of the deal – such as the division of advertising revenue or royalties – remain under wraps for now. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters expressed optimism to the Financial Times: "For many French households, television today is synonymous with Netflix. With TF1, we gain access to top-tier content – from telenovelas to live sports.
TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer emphasizes the strategic significance: "This alliance gives us access to new target groups and brings our premium content to where attention is concentrated today – on streaming platforms." TF1 currently reaches 58 million monthly viewers on linear TV and 35 million users through its streaming platform TF1+.
In industry circles, the collaboration is considered pioneering for other European broadcasters, who are increasingly faced with the choice of strengthening their own platforms or cooperating with global players like Netflix. While some TV groups are launching their own paid services, others are increasingly relying on YouTube or social media as distribution channels.
Netflix has previously licensed TF1 content or co-produced productions like Les Combattantes or Tout le bleu du ciel. However, this new form of direct integration of the linear TV offering marks a turning point.
Belmer sees no risk to its own reach: "This is not cannibalization, but a logical progression. Linear television is in structural decline. With Netflix, we reach new user segments – this is a gain for our content, our brands, and our advertising partners.
