Viewing figures in May showing streaming of darkened TV for the first time The news comes as Netflix signs a broadcast agreement with France’s TF1 Netflix shows traditional TV channels from next year
Traditional TV just hit a new low – for the first time in history, streaming services had a larger audience than broadcast and cable channels combined. These are, according to official US viewing numbers from May, and in a poetic twist of Timing, Netflix has just announced its first deal ever to broadcast traditional channels and live TV.
In a link with the French TV giant TF1 (as reported by the Financial Times), the streaming platform will host all five of its traditional channels together with more than 30,000 hours of demand for demand. From the summer next year, subscribers in France will be able to see everything from prime-time dramas to The voice Plus live sports, including the French national football team matches.
The deal marks a major shift in the streaming landscape. Netflix has long been a disruptive threat to traditional TV – now it is in full circle and offers the media a lifeline that hosts the very kind of live, linear programming that it helped to break down.
The timing of moving is especially exquisite because May was also the first month on the record where streaming became more popular than its traditional TV rivals …
Crosses the streams
According to Nielsen Data, May was the first month ever when streaming was more popular than cable and broadcast combined in the United States.
YouTube led the field (12.5%) followed by Netflix (7.5%). Nielsen’s data has limitations – it only tracks us viewing on TV screens (smartphones, tablets and laptops are not included). But it is still a milestone moment that reflects a broader trend: more people (especially younger audiences) trenches planned programming completely. Instead, they get access to on-demand content via smart TVs, tablets and smartphones.
(Image Credit: Nielsen)
As streaming eats more screen time, traditional TV companies are struggling to keep up. Fragmented audiences and falling ad revenue make it harder to maintain old business models. While some have launched their own streaming services, such as Britbox – a joint venture between ITV and BBC Studios – these rarely achieve global reach. Now some networks turn to their streaming rivals for traction.
TF1 is a perfect example. Its free-to-see TF1+ streaming service earns a significant domestic audience, but remains heavily dependent on advertising revenue. Netflix’s subscriber base in France – which reportedly went 10 million by 2022 – offers a much larger pool of potential viewers. For TF1, the upside of a partnership is ready.
Competitor to Savior
For Netflix, the deal brings fresh content to its platform. TF1 has a huge back catalog, including popular dramas such as Brocéliand And reality shows like Koh-Lanta . In a speech with The Financial Times, Greg Peters, CO chief director of Netflix, said many French viewers are already thinking of “TV like Netflix”.
Peters describes TF1 as a “producer of large, premium content” and highlighted various shows that the bond will bring to the platform. In a competitive market where Netflix has to continue to justify its increasing subscription costs, it is a step that can help preserve customers.
This is not the first time the two companies have worked together. TF1 and Netflix previously collaborated on scripted CO producers such as Les Combattantes and Tout le bleu du ciel . But this is the first time Netflix Streamer Live, scheduled TV channels. It marks a great development in how streaming platforms and older TV stations work together.
(Image Credit: Netflix)
It also reflects how streaming has reshaped TV itself – not just how we see but what is being made. Shows like Lucifer (over), Money heist and Designated survivors were all rescued by Netflix after being canceled by their original network. In more ways than one, streaming has gone from TV’s competitor to its savior.
Whether this Agreement signalizes the start of a wider shift is yet to be seen. Peters suggested that Netflix would see how things are going with TF1 before rolling similar partnerships elsewhere. But it is a clear sign that the definition of ‘TV’ has changed forever. When streaming overtakes traditional channels, the lines between the two blurters than ever. And it’s Netflix that sets the boundaries.
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