Netflix is bringing live TV to its platform. Starting summer 2025, Netflix will offer access to five live channels from France’s top commercial broadcaster, TF1 Group.

It’s a surprising yet strategic move for Netflix. The streaming giant that helped kill TV is now embracing it.

Why are Netflix and TF1 Teaming up?

The Netflix and TF1 deal gives viewers access to live channels on a more familiar TV interface. It will offer 30,000 hours of on-demand TF1 content by summer 2026, including the company’s hit reality shows, scripted dramas, and live sports.

The deal gives users a wider range of content and more diversity on Netflix. This partnership also represents a deeper level of integration of live TV into the streaming interface, a move that few services have dared.

The Financial Times didn’t disclose financial terms, but the scope of the deal implies a long-term commitment.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide more choice to our members in France, from today’s hit reality shows to next year’s award-winning dramas and everything in between, plus all the sports,” said Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters.

“By partnering with France’s leading broadcaster, we will give French consumers even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and to stay with us for all their entertainment needs.”

What’s in it For TF1?

The deal represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for TF1 to increase its reach and gain a strong position with advertisers. After all, TF1’s channels will continue to show ads on live streams, a key component of the deal.

“This new alliance is in line with our digital strategy,” said TF1 Group CEO Rodolphe Belmer. “With on-demand viewing habits shifting and the viewer landscape becoming more fragmented, this unique alliance will allow our premium content to reach unparalleled audiences.”

Belmer also mentioned that linear TV was “in secular decline” and that partnering with Netflix could “help us to stay relevant and benefit from the significant power of Netflix.”

How will Netflix and TF1 Achieve that? How will it work?

the French historical drama series Les Combattantes, or Women at War. This new deal, however, represents a more profound partnership. It is an integration of live TV into the streaming interface, something few services have attempted.

Under the agreement, French viewers will gain access to a variety of popular TV programs on one interface.

How does it Benefit Netflix?

For one, Netflix’s live content deal satisfies France’s regulations. The streaming giant is required to reinvest 20 to 25% of the revenue it generates in France into French content. With the TF1 deal, Netflix can fulfill this mandate while continuing to expand its library with more culturally-relevant content.

There’s also a massive viewership opportunity. According to Belmer, TF1’s five live channels are seen by 58 million viewers per month. TF1’s streaming platform, TF1+, reaches 35 million monthly viewers.

For context, Netflix has only 10 million subscribers in France, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos in 2022. The new deal could expose TF1’s audience to Netflix — and vice versa. It could help build a positive feedback loop of engagement and viewership.

This could be the start of a trend. Peters noted that the company will see how the TF1 deal works before pursuing more similar deals in other markets. If successful, the strategy could spread to other European markets and eventually the U.S.

It makes sense, considering how viewer habits have changed. According to Nielsen, 44.8% of total TV time is now spent on streaming, surpassing both cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since Nielsen started tracking TV audiences in 2021.

Several linear channels are already on platforms like YouTube TV, but this marks the first time a service has integrated live broadcast channels into its own interface. Netflix is no longer just taking out TV — it’s replacing it.

The deal represents a larger shift, where Netflix becomes the one-stop-shop for all types of entertainment: bingeable series, live sports, and real-time TV.

If anything, the deal is a win-win for Netflix. Many French viewers already treat Netflix as TV. Now it will be on TV.