Exploring the TF1 / Netflix win–win partnership
Analysis – The Future of TV: Global Series
While UK commercial broadcasters have turned to YouTube to extend audience monetisation, Matt Trickett at Ampere Analysis explains why France’s TF1 signed a distribution deal with Netflix to pursue the same objective.
It has been almost a year since France’s TF1 Group and Netflix announced their partnership. Under the agreement, TF1’s five linear channels, alongside content from the TF1+ broadcast VOD (BVOD) service, will be integrated into Netflix’s interface in France from mid‑2026.
A firm launch date has yet to be confirmed, and further details remain limited as summer approaches, but the partnership is nevertheless generating great interest across the industry.
Why the deal drew attention
For Netflix, this deal signals ambitions to act not just as a streamer, but as a platform and channel aggregator in a local market. TF1, meanwhile, appears to be acknowledging that the best way to gain future reach in its home market could be via a global subscription streamer.
It runs counter to the direction of travel observed in the UK, with major commercial broadcasters, Channel 4 and ITV, turning instead to YouTube to extend audience monetisation beyond linear channels and BVOD – the so-called ‘third leg’ strategy.
But amid speculation that more deals between Netflix and broadcasters could be in the offing, let’s examine the business rationale for this partnership and explore its implications for the French market.
Partnership rationale: France market context
While the headlines caught some observers by surprise, the underlying market dynamics in France make it a logical test case for both parties.
Although linear viewing is declining (as in most markets), France still records some of the highest levels of live viewing in Europe. TF1 remains dominant in broadcast but is finding it harder to reach younger audiences.
Netflix, meanwhile, leads the subscription streaming market. Ampere estimates it has around 13.5m subscribers in France, roughly twice the size of the next largest streamer, Amazon Prime Video.
Ampere’s Media Consumer survey also indicates that Netflix’s audience skews younger than both TF1’s linear channels and its BVOD platform.
In other words, TF1 is stronger with older cohorts and in linear viewing, while Netflix is stronger with younger viewers (outside of social video) and in subscription streaming.
TF1 Group CEO Rodolphe Belmer has said that in households with Netflix, the streamer is now the first-choice destination for eyeballs.
In addition, Ampere’s surveying indicates that over 20% of the 18-64 online population in France currently subscribes to Netflix but does not engage with TF1’s services on a monthly basis, suggesting an incremental opportunity for both parties.
What Netflix gains
For Netflix, the partnership adds a substantial catalogue of local programming in a key market while answering key questions around how linear channels could sit within its product experience:
Engagement: Can featuring linear channels on the home screen change viewing behaviour – increasing dwell time and stickiness?
Future partnerships and product strategy: Can this deal help Netflix determine whether to pursue similar deals in other markets, or complement its VOD offer with its own FAST channels (something it previously trialled in France, before stepping back)?
Daypart expansion: Does a broadcast presence increase usage across the day? Ampere’s self‑reported viewing data from its consumer survey suggests that subscription streaming services skew toward late afternoon/primetime viewing more than other platforms.
Retention and brand position: While new subscriber uplift may be modest, can overlap between the two audiences support retention and reinforce Netflix as a “first choice” platform?
Advertising learnings: Can insights from this deal help Netflix grow its ad tiers as it looks to increase advertising scale?
What TF1 gains
For TF1, the Netflix partnership may look radical at first glance, but it is more consistent with its broader distribution and aggregation strategy than it appears.
Strategy continuity: TF1 has already pursued aggregation for TF1+ with partners such as Deezer, Arte and A&E, and wants to keep tight control over its brand experience online.
Content sharing: Given Netflix’s reach, the deal can be viewed as a new distribution opportunity – comparable, for example, to TF1’s long-standing relationship with Canal+.
Audience relevance: The deal allows TF1 to maintain a constant connection with its core audience wherever they are and better connect to younger demographics.
Monetisation control: TF1 will sell advertising through its own sales house and is likely to retain most, if not all, of the financial upside.
Advertiser proposition: The ability to sell Netflix audience inventory alongside TF1+ will increase its reach among the 16-34 demographic, in particular. It is thought TF1+’s average CPMs are approaching €15 in the market, which is typically more than 3x YouTube’s CPMs in France, potentially strengthening TF1 Publicité’s position with advertisers versus social platforms.
Wider implications
Across Europe, free-to-air broadcasters have formed formal and informal communities and alliances. As a result, peers facing similar strategic questions to TF1 will be watching this Netflix experiment closely and seeking lessons, as they too consider their own future-facing reach strategies.
Matt Trickett is the head of media at Ampere Analysis