The Great TV Unraveling: How Broadcasters and Streamers Are Becoming Best Friends

From Rivals to Partners

For over a decade, the entertainment world has been locked in an epic battle between traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms. But as the tides of technology and consumer behavior shift, that old-school rivalry is quickly dissolving into something far more complex—and collaborative.

I've been watching this transformation unfold from the sidelines, and it's nothing short of fascinating. At the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, I witnessed a dramatic shift in thinking among executives from TF1, Prime Video, Globo, and Gaumont Television. What once seemed like a zero-sum game is now becoming a shared investment strategy for content, distribution, and monetization.

"We have been both a programmer and an aggregator since our inception," said Andrew Bennett of Amazon's Prime Video. "We were an SVOD, TVOD, then we were SVOD, TVOD, channels, now we're SVOD, TVOD, free-to-air. It is foundational to our strategy to bring all of the selection together in one app."

This isn't just a pivot—it's a complete reimagining of how content reaches audiences. And it's happening faster than many industry insiders anticipated.

TF1's Netflix Move: A New Era of Distribution

One of the most telling examples of this new paradigm is TF1's decision to place its channels and AVOD service, TF1+, inside Netflix. This isn't just a content deal—it's a financial lifeline for broadcasters who've seen their linear ad revenues plummet.

Rodolphe Belmer, TF1 President, put it starkly: "The more Netflix is growing, the more our addressable market in consequence is shrinking, and the more our ability to amortize our lineup of content and to finance our shows is under stress."

Belmer's solution? Partner with Netflix to expand their reach. The results so far are surprisingly encouraging—cannibalization has been minimal, less than 10%, despite fears that viewers would simply switch to Netflix when they could watch the same content there.

Why This Shift Happens

But why is this shift happening now? Well, let's be honest. The old model of linear TV isn't working anymore. Viewers are no longer tied to their schedules. They want flexibility, choice, and content that fits into their lives—not the other way around.

This means broadcasters must either adapt or fade away. And the most practical path forward? Collaborate with global platforms like Netflix and Amazon. It's not about losing control—it's about maximizing it across multiple touchpoints.

As Belmer noted, "We continue to do our shows with instincts, with our understanding of the French population, and also resorting to measurement panels." But here's where things get interesting: the data isn't just a tool for targeting ads anymore. It's become a key part of storytelling decisions.

The Data Dilemma

Here's a truth that might surprise some: broadcasters and streamers are wrestling with the same question. How do you balance creative freedom with commercial insight? Is data a creative tool or a marketing crutch?

Andrew Bennett of Prime Video made it clear: "Creativity is not something that data – it's generally backward-looking, and creativity is forward-looking." He emphasized that while data can help understand audience preferences, it cannot predict the magic that happens when a great director, cast, or script comes together.

Isabelle Degeorges from Gaumont Television echoed this sentiment. "We don't know. I mean, as producer, we don't have any data," she said. The disconnect between creative and commercial realms is real—and growing more complex with each passing year.

The YouTube Conundrum

And then there's YouTube—a platform that's reshaping the conversation entirely. While it's not directly regulated in France like other broadcasters or streamers, its impact on advertising revenue and content distribution can't be ignored.

Belmer made a compelling case: "I think that it's absolutely necessary that YouTube gets regulated." He argues that YouTube is competing in the same market as traditional broadcasters without any of the cultural obligations or investment rules that apply to subscription platforms like Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime.

This isn't just about fairness—it's about sovereignty. As Degeorges warned, "We know that. That's why our government, everybody, has to fight. Us, we have to fight to remain, to keep this sovereignty."

YouTube's dominance in advertising is also creating a power imbalance. It can sell ads at prices 2.5 to three times below traditional broadcasters, which devalues the investment in local content and threatens to make European production dependent on U.S.-based platforms.

What This Means for Creators

For producers, this evolving landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, increased flexibility around distribution means more potential revenue streams. On the other, the risk of losing long-term value through IP ownership is real.

Degeorges emphasized the importance of retaining IP rights. "If we don't have the IPs, yes, we get money to make the show, we get money for our companies, but at the end of the day, we don't have any rights," she said.

But there's also hope in the numbers. France's new regulations now allow producers to retain IP in roughly 70% of cases—a crucial shift that supports local content creation and ensures creators maintain control over their work.

The Future Is Shared

This isn't just about deals or partnerships—it's about redefining the future of television itself. The lines between linear and streaming, broadcast and digital, are blurring more quickly than ever.

As Belmer puts it, "We don't obsess about one size fits all." Whether it's a first window release, second window, or simultaneous launch, the focus is now on what makes sense financially and strategically for each partner involved.

And that's where we are today. A moment of unprecedented collaboration, driven by necessity but shaped by opportunity. The old guard isn't fading—it's evolving into something more powerful and dynamic than it ever was before.

It's a new era of storytelling, distribution, and creative ownership. And I, for one, am excited to see how it unfolds.