French TV on Netflix
Netflix and TF1 Launch Streaming Partnership in France, Offering Free Access to Live Channels
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Key Points
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TF1 said viewers will see TF1 advertising when watching TF1+ content on Netflix, because TF1 continues to hold rights and the content is geolocalised to France.
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Some TF1 programming that was already on Netflix through co-productions and earlier licensing will remain on the streamer; ScreenDaily specifically cited thriller “Summer 36 (L’Ete 36),” which premiered on TF1 in May and reached Netflix on June 1.
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The partnership doesn’t create a two-way distribution: ScreenDaily reported that while TF1 content will appear on Netflix, “Netflix content, however, is not available on TF1+.”
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A separate report described timing benefits TF1 gets from Netflix: it said co-productions between the companies will be available on Netflix five days before their free-to-air broadcast on TF1.
Netflix and TF1 Group officially launched a first-of-its-kind streaming partnership in France on June 19, giving all Netflix subscribers in the country free access to TF1+ and five live TF1 channels — TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films, and news channel LCI — at no extra cost. C21Media confirmed the go-live date, calling it a landmark moment in European broadcasting.
The deal brings over 35,000 hours of on-demand content into the Netflix interface, alongside live sports including Rugby Nations Championship matches and French national team football. TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer called it an "unprecedented alliance" that will "reach new audiences together and open up new opportunities for our advertisers," according to C21Media.
How the Integration Works Inside Netflix
Netflix is not buying TF1 content title by title. Instead, it is embedding TF1+ directly inside its platform. Viewers in France can browse TF1 channels using familiar Netflix tools — Continue Watching, My List, and Top 10 rows. Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters said the partnership delivers "two strong, complementary content offerings in a world-class user experience," according to Advanced Television.
The content is locked to France only — it is geolocalized, meaning no one outside the country can access it. TF1 keeps full control of its programming and rights. Crucially, TF1 also keeps its ad sales. That means French viewers watching TF1+ content inside Netflix will still see TF1 advertisements, not Netflix ones.
Netflix Gets First-Run Rights Five Days Before TV Broadcast
One major shift buried in the deal: future co-productions between Netflix and TF1 will land on Netflix five days before they air on free-to-air TF1. That effectively makes Netflix the premium, first-run window for TF1's biggest shows. It flips the traditional broadcast model, where streaming typically comes after TV.
A recent example shows how this already works. The historical thriller Summer 36 (L'Été 36) premiered on linear TF1 on May 18, 2026. It arrived on Netflix France on June 1 — three weeks later — under an existing co-production agreement. Going forward, that gap shrinks to just five days, according to Yahoo News.
TF1 Gains Reach but Gives Up Platform Parity
The deal is not equal in both directions. TF1 content appears on Netflix, but Netflix content does not appear on TF1+. That one-way arrangement gives Netflix a clear advantage. Netflix reduces subscriber churn by adding free live TV and sports. TF1 gets access to Netflix's 12 million French subscribers — but gives up direct control of how viewers discover its content.
TF1's independent streaming platform, TF1+, already has 35 million monthly users. By embedding inside Netflix, TF1 bets that ad revenue from Netflix's highly engaged audience will offset declining ratings on linear TV. Belmer said during a February 2026 earnings call that the partnership specifically targets "low consumers of television" among Netflix's French base, according to C21Media.
A Test Case That Could Reshape European TV
The partnership was first announced in June 2025 at the Cannes Lions festival. Industry analysts see it as a template Netflix could replicate across Europe. Similar deals have already emerged elsewhere — Disney+ with ITVX in the UK, and Prime Video with France Télévisions — but this is the most deeply integrated arrangement yet between a global streamer and a major national broadcaster.
Peters has hinted that if the French model works, Netflix could pursue similar embedding deals with broadcasters in Germany and Italy. For now, financial terms between Netflix and TF1 remain undisclosed. What is clear is the direction: Netflix is becoming less of a standalone streaming service and more of an operating system for television itself.
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