In a somewhat unexpected but savvy move, Netflix is bringing live TV to its platform. From the summer of 2025, French users will be able to access five of the major French commercial broadcaster TF1 Group’s channels on the service.

It’s an ironic turn of events for the streamer, which has spent years tearing down the structure of TV as we know it — but now it’s the channel’s doing it to Netflix.

TF1, Netflix Partner Up

Netflix’s deal with TF1 means that users in France will now get access to familiar channels within a fresh streaming wrapper. They’ll be able to watch on-demand shows from TF1, in addition to live content, including 30,000 hours of on-demand by the summer of 2026, according to the Financial Times. That means hits like The Voice and scripted dramas, as well as live sports.

The move gives subscribers in France a greater range of content to choose from, as well as an established TV platform. But for Netflix, it also brings it closer to the linear channels that had been challenging its content model in the past. (Let’s not forget that part of why HBO+MGM teamed up was to fund production of scripted content.)

In addition to the new partnership, Netflix and TF1 have previously worked together, including on French historical drama Les Combattantes (aka Women at War). But the agreement takes things further, integrating live TV within the Netflix experience. It’s a relatively uncommon model, as few services have tried anything like it.

No financial terms were disclosed, but the agreement’s scope suggests it’s a long-term arrangement.

“We think this agreement gives us an opportunity to keep increasing daily engagement, which is a new metric for us, given that we don’t disclose our subscriber numbers,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement. “By partnering with France’s top 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.”

TF1 also has an opportunity to gain a wider reach and higher appeal for its ads. The channels will continue to run ads within their live broadcasts, giving TF1 more airtime and a way to advertise its content more widely.

“With this unprecedented partnership, we will allow our premium content to reach audiences like never before, meeting a significant part of our strategy to adapt to the evolution of consumption towards on-demand and audience fragmentation,” said TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer. “By making a strategic choice, we’re continuing to make inroads into an emerging model that’s still to be invented. This partnership will enable us to reach an exceptional audience.”

Belmer also called linear TV in “secular decline,” but said it might be possible to avoid that with such partnerships. “By capitalizing on the huge momentum that Netflix brings, this alliance will enable us to find ways to stay relevant.”

A Play Into Regs, Millions of Viewers

In a regulatory sense, Netflix benefits from the agreement too. French streaming platforms are required to reinvest 20% to 25% of their revenue generated in France in local content. The deal with TF1 helps Netflix meet that requirement while adding content that’s already popular and culturally relevant.

Plus, there’s the opportunity to tap into millions of TV viewers. About 58 million people tune into TF1’s channels each month, while its streaming service TF1+ has 35 million users. Netflix has just over 10 million subscribers in France, co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed in 2022.

With this integration, TF1’s TV audience might start watching Netflix — and vice versa. The companies will get a feedback loop of visibility and reach.

The integration could expand to other countries if the deal works out. Peters also said the company will see how the TF1 deal performs before seeking to replicate it elsewhere. “The same logic may work elsewhere, of course,” he said. “The combination of the five live channels of TF1 in the summer of 2025, I think that’s a very unique situation.”

That includes in other European countries and potentially the U.S., though he wouldn’t say if there are specific plans for other regions.

But there’s already a shift in viewing behavior. Streaming represented 44.8% of total TV viewing in May, surpassing cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) for the first time since 2021, according to Nielsen. Streaming’s share of TV viewing rose 13% from last year.

As such, while live channels are already on services like YouTube TV, the deal marks a shift. Streaming platforms aren’t just competing with TV — they’re becoming it.

With the TF1 deal, Netflix may be positioning itself as the all-in-one source for TV. There’s binge-worthy series, sports and real-time television. For many French viewers, Netflix already feels like TV. Now it’s going to become TV.