Netflix to carry French TV after landmark deal

Broadcast TV is coming to Netflix for the first time. A landmark deal between the streaming giant and France’s TF1 will see five of the network’s linear channels and 30,000 hours of shows made available to French Netflix users as part of their existing subscription plan.

Financial details were not disclosed, but the deal could lead to more link-ups between large online streamers and traditional TV groups, which are struggling with declining audiences and advertising revenues. It may also help Netflix fulfil a legal requirement to sink a portion of its French revenue into French-language content. Dramas such as Brocéliande and Erica, and unscripted shows such as The Voice, will now be available on the platform.

Streaming’s share of total TV viewing outpaced the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time in May this year, according to Nielsen. A summer of football and a new broadcast season is likely to mean that will not last for too long, but the future after that is far from certain for traditional TV.