In what seems like a full circle moment for the streaming industry, Netflix will start streaming live broadcast channels in France next summer.

Starting in 2025, all Netflix subscribers in France will be able to access linear channels from TF1 Group, France’s largest commercial broadcaster. Netflix will offer five TF1 channels directly within its app, bringing a traditional TV experience directly to its interface.

But that’s not all. According to the Financial Times, by the summer of 2026, Netflix users in France will also have access to more than 30,000 hours of TF1’s on-demand content. That includes scripted dramas and reality shows — such as The Voice — as well as live sports.

The deal, while surprising on its face, represents an evolution in the company’s strategy. For years, Netflix helped lead the decline of traditional cable. Now, it’s adding a piece of it to its own platform.

Netflix and TF1 are no strangers. The two companies have collaborated on projects in the past as co-producers, including Les Combattantes, a historical French miniseries dubbed Women at War in English.

But this latest deal takes that partnership to a new level entirely.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it’s clear that both companies see this as more than just an experiment.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters emphasized the benefits of the partnership to users and investors alike. After choosing not to report subscriber numbers anymore, the company is doubling down on engagement as a performance metric.

“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,” Peters said.

On TF1’s end, the partnership creates new revenue streams — namely, advertising. The broadcaster will continue to show ads during its linear programs. And with Netflix’s vast user base, that’s a whole lot more eyeballs.

TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer said the deal is a response to changing viewer habits and a fragmented audience. He described it as “an unprecedented alliance” that helps TF1 deliver its premium content to “unparalleled audiences.” Belmer also touted the advertising potential of the deal, particularly in an ecosystem that complements TF1’s own streaming platform, TF1+.

For Netflix, the partnership could also help it meet a key regulatory mandate. Since 2021, the French government has required streaming platforms to reinvest 20 to 25% of their revenue in France in French content. A deal with the country’s largest broadcaster certainly advances that goal.

There’s also a chance for audience growth. FT reported that TF1’s broadcast channels currently reach about 58 million viewers each month, while its streaming service, TF1+, counts 35 million monthly users. Netflix, meanwhile, had just over 10 million French subscribers as of 2022, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

If the deal proves successful, it could spur similar partnerships in other countries. Peters said the company would wait and see how the TF1 rollout performs before considering additional broadcast agreements.

The deal also follows a broader shift in media consumption. Just this week, Nielsen reported that streaming consumption overtook linear viewing for the first time since Nielsen began tracking viewership in 2021. Streaming accounted for 44.8% of all TV consumption in May, topping cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) combined.

As streaming grows, linear broadcasters — which were once threatened by streaming platforms like Netflix — may find a second life in those very services. Rather than fighting against the change, TF1 seems to be embracing it.

“Linear TV is in secular decline,” Belmer said. “We’ve tried to compensate… by launching our own free-to-view platform. But also by trying to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”