Netflix adds live TV broadcasts and sports in France from TF1

Netflix Inc. will add live television channels and shows from French broadcaster TF1, expanding the streaming platform’s live offer for customers in the country.

French customers will be be able to watch live feeds, including sports, from TF1’s channels, and stream the broadcaster’s shows on demand from next summer, Netflix said in a statement on Wednesday. Netflix will dedicate a portion of the app to TF1 content as part of the distribution agreement.

Netflix is expanding the content it offers customers and has invested in live events such as National Football League games and wrestling matches. The French partnership goes a step further, offering traditional live broadcast content such as dramas and reality television.

At the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Netflix recently held its live-streamed Tudum event, an hours-long variety show-like extravaganza meant to hype up audiences for upcoming series, movies and returning franchises, including WWE’s “Raw” on Monday nights.

Netflix’s two Christmas NFL games scored 24 million viewers each as the streamer pushed further into sports. Previously, its glitchy live stream of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match drew huge viewership worldwide.

Over the years, Netflix has expanded its live events and in-person experiences to keep viewers engaged. Those have included “Bridgerton” balls, Netflix-themed eateries and retail stores selling merch based on “Stranger Things” and other shows.

The streamer said last year it had more than 301 million subscribers globally.

Times staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report. Thomson and Berthelot write for Bloomberg.