A French viewer who opened Netflix on 19 June also found live broadcasts from TF1 and its video library in the app. Five channels and thousands of hours of content are now available directly in the app, at no extra charge.
This is the first distribution partnership of its kind between Netflix and a major terrestrial broadcaster. TheWrap describes it as a “first-of-its-kind partnership”. The two sides announced the deal roughly a year ago. The launch only happened now, and so far it is exclusive to France.
What has appeared on Netflix in France
Subscribers gained access to the live channels TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films and the news channel LCI. Alongside them is the TF1+ video library with thousands of hours of programmes. Variety reports that sports broadcasts are included too, specifically the Rugby Nations Championship and matches of the French national football team.
TF1 content now feeds directly into Netflix’s recommendation system and mixes with its titles in the Continue Watching, My List and Top 10 rows. For the viewer, live broadcasting and streaming share a single interface.
What each side expects from the deal
Netflix gains live linear channels, local news and sport, content it does not produce itself. On top of that, it gets data on how subscribers respond to linear broadcasting within a streaming environment.
Greg Peters, Netflix co-CEO, framed the deal as an expansion of the offering for members in France. “People have more entertainment choices than ever, so we have to consistently give them the best variety of TV and films in a seamless and personalized way,” he said, according to Variety. “Our partnership with TF1 brings together two strong, complementary content offerings in a world-class user experience, delivering even more entertainment value for our members in France.”
TF1 is looking elsewhere. The French broadcaster expects to reach audiences it could not reach on its own, and a new environment for advertisers. Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of the TF1 group, said so directly. “By combining our programming with the power of Netflix’s recommendations, we will reach new audiences together and open up new opportunities for our advertisers,” he said, according to Variety. Besides news and sport, he mentioned the shows Star Academy and Koh-Lanta and the drama title Été 36.
An advertising layer with no published terms
The financial terms of the deal have not been published, and Variety confirms that the split of advertising revenue also remains unknown. For a brand buying media in France, though, the advertising inventory is the most interesting part. The television inventory meets the platform’s recommendation system and its ad-supported tier.
Belmer’s mention of “new opportunities for our advertisers” in the deal announcement points in a direction. Linear TV advertising gains the targeting and context of an environment that knows what the viewer is watching. The specific form and prices cannot yet be verified, so for an advertiser today only the existence of a new advertising surface is certain, not its parameters.
France as a test for other markets
The French market serves as a test environment for a model that Netflix apparently does not intend to keep as a one-off. According to the Financial Times, Peters described the TF1 deal as an opportunity to better understand how cooperation with established broadcasters creates value. He did not name any specific markets.
For a European brand director, this is a signal about the direction in which video distribution is moving. The streaming platform is becoming an environment that traditional television enters with its live broadcasting and advertising inventory. Whether the model works will show in the data that Netflix collects from TF1. How many more broadcasters get the same offer will depend on it.
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