The Streaming Wars Are Over, Netflix Won (And What That Means for Advertising)
How Netflix's Partnership with France's Biggest Broadcaster Signals the End of Traditional TV Advertising
How the TF1 Deal Changes Everything We Know About Media Buying
When Netflix announced they'd be carrying TF1's linear channels in France, I knew we'd just witnessed a seismic shift in the media landscape. This isn't just a distribution deal—it's the first domino in the complete restructuring of television advertising.
After fifteen years of disrupting traditional TV, Netflix has come full circle. They're not just competing with linear television anymore—they're absorbing it.
The Death of Traditional TV Distribution
The TF1 deal is the equivalent of ABC or NBC handing over their programming to Netflix. For the first time in history, a streaming platform will carry live linear television channels alongside on-demand content. This breaks down the last meaningful distinction between streaming and traditional TV.
Think about what this means for media planning: instead of buying linear TV and streaming separately, advertisers in France will soon buy both through Netflix's platform. One interface, one measurement system, one customer relationship.
Why This Model Will Spread Globally
Netflix has 94 million monthly active users on their ad-supported tier, growing faster than any traditional TV network. By aggregating linear content, they're positioning themselves as the inevitable destination for both audiences and advertisers.
The economics are compelling for struggling broadcasters: TF1 gets access to Netflix's 13.7 million French subscribers while maintaining their advertising revenue through their own sales house. Netflix gets live content and sports to reduce churn while scaling their advertising business.
The Data Advantage That Changes Everything
Here's what traditional TV can't compete with: Netflix knows exactly who's watching what, when, and for how long. When they add TF1's linear programming, they'll have unprecedented insights into viewing behavior across all content types.
This creates a data moat that traditional broadcasters simply can't match. Netflix can offer advertisers:
Individual viewer-level targeting across live and on-demand content
Real-time campaign optimization based on actual viewing behavior
Cross-content attribution and frequency management
Predictive audience modeling for live events
The Implications for Media Buyers
We're looking at the beginning of the end for traditional TV buying. Why would advertisers want to manage relationships with dozens of broadcasters when they can access equivalent reach through a single platform with superior targeting and measurement?
The TF1 deal is Netflix's proof of concept for becoming the dominant media aggregator globally. If successful in France, expect similar announcements in other markets where traditional TV is struggling with declining viewership and advertising revenue.
What Happens to Traditional Media Companies
The smart ones will follow TF1's lead: partnering with Netflix to maintain relevance while monetizing their content libraries. The stubborn ones will find themselves with shrinking audiences and declining ad revenues as viewers migrate to aggregated platforms.
This isn't just about cord-cutting anymore—it's about attention-cutting. When Netflix offers both the convenience of streaming and the content variety of linear TV, the value proposition of traditional TV distribution disappears.
The New Reality for Advertisers
By 2026, when the TF1 integration launches, French advertisers will be able to reach linear TV audiences through Netflix's advanced advertising platform. This includes:
Programmatic buying capabilities for linear content
Connected TV-style targeting for traditional TV audiences
Unified measurement across streaming and linear viewing
Creative optimization based on content and audience insights
The Sports and News Problem
Live sports and breaking news were the last bastions keeping linear TV relevant. The TF1 deal includes live sports coverage, which means Netflix is directly attacking traditional TV's strongest remaining differentiator.
If Netflix can successfully aggregate sports rights through broadcaster partnerships rather than expensive direct purchases, they'll have found a scalable model for global expansion.
Building Your Strategy for the Aggregated Future
Smart media planners are already adapting to this new reality:
Diversify beyond platform silos: Don't build strategies around specific platforms—build them around audience outcomes that can work across aggregated experiences.
Invest in creative flexibility: Content that works across streaming and linear environments will become increasingly valuable as platforms blend.
Prepare for unified measurement: The days of separate streaming and TV measurement are numbered. Start building measurement frameworks that work across all video content.
Rethink broadcaster relationships: Direct relationships with traditional broadcasters may become less important than relationships with aggregating platforms.
What This Means for the Future
The TF1 deal isn't just about Netflix—it's about the inevitable consolidation of video entertainment into a few dominant platforms. Amazon Prime Video is already experimenting with live sports, and YouTube TV has been aggregating cable channels for years.
We're heading toward a world where three or four platforms control most video advertising inventory, with superior data and targeting capabilities that traditional TV could never match.
The streaming wars are over, but the real battle—for control of the advertising-supported entertainment industry—is just beginning.