French broadcaster TF1 says its landmark partnership with Netflix is already delivering results, with the company reporting record streaming figures less than a month after the agreement took effect. The collaboration, which launched in France in June, marks the first time Netflix has partnered with a national free-to-air broadcaster to distribute both live television and on-demand programming.
According to TF1, the deal has significantly increased viewership across several of its biggest shows while helping its content reach Netflix’s most-watched rankings in France. The early success is also being closely watched by broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide as a potential model for future media partnerships.
TF1 reports record streaming growth after Netflix launch
The broadcaster revealed that the finale of Koh-Lanta, France’s long-running survival reality series, attracted 8.3 million unique daily streams on June 25, setting a new company record. TF1 also reported strong audience gains for Secret Story and the drama Good American Family, which it licenses for French viewers.
During the first week of the collaboration, TF1 said its unique daily streams increased by 16%, with several programs entering Netflix France’s trending titles.
Commenting on the results, TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer said,
“We achieved our audience targets [for the Netflix deal], originally set for an 18-month timeframe, in less than three weeks. This strong start confirms the value of this unprecedented partnership and the public’s appetite for our content.”
Under the agreement, Netflix subscribers in France can access TF1’s live channels alongside programming from the broadcaster’s TF1+ streaming platform without leaving the Netflix app.
TF1 also described advertising performance on Netflix as “excellent,” noting that revenue levels are comparable to those generated through TF1+, although the company did not disclose financial figures.
The partnership is attracting industry attention because it represents a different strategy from traditional broadcaster consolidation. Rather than competing directly with global streaming services, TF1 has chosen to distribute its content through Netflix, creating a hybrid model that could influence similar agreements in other countries.
Media companies have already begun pursuing comparable arrangements. Prime Video has signed carriage agreements with France Télévisions, M6, and Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, highlighting a growing trend toward collaboration between traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms.
