Everything old is new again. Netflix has just signed a deal for live TV broadcasts in France, turning the streaming giant into a regular TV channel. The platform will broadcast five traditional channels of the French TV giant TF1. Subscribers in the region will have access to live broadcasts and on-demand content.
The partnership will officially begin next summer. Channels under the TF1 umbrella broadcast everything from reality shows like The Voice to live sports broadcasts, including matches of the French national football team.
This deal brings Netflix a lot of content, as TF1 has a huge back catalog. This includes popular local dramas like Brocelianda and reality shows like Koh Lanta. Greg Peters, Netflix’s co-CEO, told the Financial Times that TF1 is “a producer of great premium content.” The move could help the platform retain customers in the region.
TF1 gains access to a large pool of potential viewers, as Netflix’s subscriber base in France exceeded 10 million in 2022. This is about 13 percent of the country’s total population.
This is not the first time the two companies have joined forces. TF1 and Netflix have collaborated on series such as Les Combattantes and Tout le bleu du ciel. This is likely due to a mandate in France that requires streaming services to reinvest in local content. This is also not the first time Netflix has experimented with live streaming in the region. The platform tested a live TV channel called Direct back in 2020.
It’s very interesting because Netflix started as an alternative to live TV, and now it’s becoming live TV. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.
