TF1 Leans on TF1+ Momentum as Ad Market Softens

Why It Matters

The surge in TF1+ performance shows how free streaming can offset linear ad weakness, signaling a strategic shift for traditional broadcasters in Europe.

Key Takeaways

• 2025 revenue down 2.5% to €2.297 bn.
• Media ad revenue fell 4.5% year‑on‑year.
• TF1+ ad revenue jumped 35.8% in 2025.
• Monthly streamers rose to 38 million, peak 42 million.
• Average ad duration increased 15% to 5 min 14 s.

Pulse Analysis

The French broadcaster TF1 is grappling with a broader European advertising slowdown that trimmed its 2025 revenue by 2.5% to €2.297 bn. Linear ad sales, especially in the fourth quarter, fell sharply, pulling Media division earnings down 4.5% and reducing EBIT by €45 million. This contraction mirrors a shift in advertiser spend toward digital channels, pressuring legacy broadcasters to diversify income streams while maintaining cost discipline.

Against this backdrop, TF1+ emerged as a growth engine, delivering a 35.8% rise in advertising revenue and expanding its audience to an average 38 million monthly viewers. The platform now offers over 35,000 hours of content, blending TF1’s own productions with third‑party libraries such as Arte and A+E Networks. Enhanced ad metrics—average duration up 15% to 5 minutes 14 seconds and a stable €13.50 CPM—demonstrate the service’s ability to monetize attention, while a new micropayment feature generated roughly 700,000 transactions in its first year.

TF1’s strategic pivot extends beyond streaming. The sale of My Little Paris and Play Two, coupled with a music‑rights partnership with Sony Music Publishing, reflects a broader portfolio rationalisation aimed at focusing on high‑margin digital assets. If TF1+ can sustain its audience growth and improve ad load toward the six‑minute target, the platform could become a key pillar of the group’s future earnings, offering a template for other broadcasters navigating the transition from linear TV to ad‑supported streaming.