Is Netflix about to become… the new cable TV?

Streaming…..the saviour of traditional TV?

Netflix, the original streaming disruptor that helped change our relationship with traditional TV as we knew it, is now… bringing it back?

Well, sort of. The company has just signed a major deal with TF1, France’s biggest commercial broadcaster, to stream live TV channels inside the Netflix app. Starting in 2026, French users will be able to watch TF1’s five channels live, along with thousands of hours of on-demand content, without switching apps.

It’s the first time Netflix has done a deal like this (apart from dipping its toes into streaming live sporting events). And while it might sound like a strange U-turn, it actually makes some sense.

Why is this happening?

As Business Insider explains, this move gives Netflix a broader content offering, keeping users engaged for longer, pulling in live viewers, and reducing the need for subscribers to toggle between apps. It also makes Netflix more competitive against traditional bundles, especially as more services fight for space in our monthly budgets.

For TF1, it’s a chance to reach an audience that’s increasingly slipping away from traditional TV. Netflix has more than 10 million subscribers in France, many of whom are younger viewers who aren’t tuning in to broadcast channels. This deal puts TF1 content in front of those viewers, without taking it away from its own platforms.

The content will still be available free elsewhere. This isn’t about exclusivity, it’s about expanding reach (which is a good thing).

But there are trade-offs

Mixing live TV with streaming isn’t simple. There are technical hurdles, questions around how ads will be delivered, and plenty of negotiating over who gets paid what. TF1 is an ad-funded channel, and Netflix is still finding its feet in that space. Netflix’s recent agreement to independent audience measurement in Australia, via OzTAM, is another signal that it’s working to align more closely with traditional broadcasters. As it expands into ad-supported and live content, advertisers will expect greater transparency around reach and audience behaviour.

There’s also the risk that adding linear content could mess with Netflix’s famously slick user experience. No one wants clunky menus or jarring ad breaks.

A glimpse of what’s to come?

Right now, this is a French experiment. But it could easily spread. In fact, Amazon Prime Video has already started testing a similar concept in Germany and Austria by rolling out a 24/7 linear channel inside Prime Video, curated from its own catalogue and including live sports like Champions League and Wimbledon. It’s not traditional TV content, but it shows that even born‑digital platforms see value in building “lean-back” viewing experiences.

This deal is a sign that the future of TV might not be one thing or the other, it could be both. On-demand and live. Streaming and scheduled. It shows just how much the media landscape is still shifting.

Whether this catches on more widely depends on how smoothly it works, and whether viewers actually want a bit of old-school TV back in their lives.