A year after Netflix unveiled a major carriage deal with French broadcaster TF1 at Cannes Lions for live broadcasts and on-demand content that complements the streaming giant’s programming, the partnership is going live in France on Friday. “More to Watch, All in One Place” is the slogan that the global streamer used on Thursday to make things official.
The distribution partnership is part of the global streamer’s focus on broadening its content offerings and strengthening engagement via an aggregation strategy not unlike traditional pay TV. Netflix members can, from Friday, watch TF1+ programs and TF1 live channels on Netflix in what the partners describe as a seamless integration. The idea is to make the integrated experience look and feel just like the rest of Netflix.
The partnership is only available on Netflix in France, with the partners touting the complementary content, such as TF1 news, sports, reality and competition shows, as well as daily soaps, which expand the streamer’s programming mix.
“This is a fully integrated model – bringing together the great TF1+ content with the seamless Netflix experience and many of our highly used features like the ‘Continue Watching’ row, ‘My List,’ and ‘Top 10’ rows,” the streamer said. “Members can watch their favorite TF1+ programming right on Netflix, including live broadcasts from [five networks, namely] TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films and the 24-hour news channel LCI; major live sporting events, including the Rugby Nations Championship and major French soccer matches; daily dramas and soaps, from daily favorites like Demain nous appartient and Ici tout commence, as well as hit series like Diplôme, Zodiaque and La Cible; fan-favorite entertainment, [such as] massive reality and competition shows, including Koh-Lanta, Secret Story and Dancing with the Stars.”
Netflix is providing the TF1+ live and on-demand content via the French broadcaster’s Application Programming Interface (API). Programming and advertising remain under TF1’s control.
But the goal clearly is to make Netflix’s service even stickier in France by boosting engagement, while allowing users to also discover new TF1 content and hidden gems via the Netflix algorithm.
“People have more entertainment choices than ever, so we have to consistently give them the best variety of TV and films in a seamless and personalized way,” highlighted Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters. “Our partnership with TF1 brings together two strong, complementary content offerings in a world-class user experience, delivering even more entertainment value for our members in France.”
Some analysts have predicted that more carriage and aggregation deals in the TF1 vein could follow if Netflix finds success and benefits in its data analysis following the launch of the partnership.
