In a bit of déjà vu for the streaming wars, Netflix has announced it will launch live broadcast channels in France next summer.

Starting in 2025, all Netflix users in the country will be able to watch linear channels from France’s largest commercial broadcaster, TF1 Group, within the Netflix app. That means users can now tune into five of TF1’s channels without having to leave the streaming app.

But that’s not all. By the summer of 2026, the platform will also include more than 30,000 hours of on-demand content from TF1. That includes scripted series and reality shows like The Voice, in addition to live sports programming.

The news is surprising on the surface. For years, Netflix accelerated the death of traditional cable. Now it’s adding pieces of that world back into its app.

The two companies have already worked together before. They partnered as co-producers on projects like the historical French miniseries Les Combattantes (The Warriors) — better known in English as Women at War. This latest partnership takes their relationship to a new level.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it’s clear that the partnership was mutually beneficial. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters spoke to its value to both users and shareholders. After announcing it was pulling back from sharing subscriber numbers, Netflix is placing increased emphasis on viewer engagement as a key metric.

“Partnering with France’s number one broadcaster means that we will be able to offer French consumers even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and stay with us for all of their entertainment needs,” Peters said.

On the other side, the partnership brings in new revenue streams for TF1, particularly through ads. The broadcaster will still show commercials in its linear broadcasts. And with Netflix’s huge user base, that’s more eyes than ever.

TF1 Group CEO Rodolphe Belmer said the deal was in response to changing viewing habits and the fractured nature of audiences. It’s “an unprecedented alliance,” he said, that will allow TF1 to bring its premium content to “unparalleled audiences.” He also highlighted the potential for advertising on the partnership, pointing to the added opportunity within an ecosystem that complements TF1’s existing streaming platform, TF1+.

For Netflix, the partnership could also address local content requirements. The French government mandated in 2021 that streamers reinvest 20 to 25 percent of their local revenue in French content. That’s an objective the partnership will help meet.

There’s also the opportunity for user growth. FT reported that TF1’s five broadcast channels reach about 58 million viewers per month, while its streaming service, TF1+, attracts 35 million monthly users. By comparison, Netflix had just over 10 million French subscribers in 2022, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

If the partnership works out, there could be more deals down the line. Peters said the company will wait to see how the TF1 partnership performs before seeking additional broadcasting agreements.

It also reflects a shift in media consumption. This week, Nielsen reported that streaming surpassed both cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%) to account for 44.8% of all TV consumption in May — the first time it’s been the top since it began measuring in 2021.

As streaming takes a larger share of the pie, linear broadcasters that have seen themselves increasingly overshadowed by Netflix and others may find new life within those very apps. Rather than fight it, TF1 seems to be embracing it.

“Linear TV is in secular decline,” Belmer said. “We’ve tried to compensate…by launching our own free-to-view platform. But also by trying to tie up and benefit from the huge driving force of Netflix.”