Agreement between TF1 and Netflix around the event series “Le Bazar de la Charité”

Boulogne, March 27th 2019

 TF1 and Netflix have concluded an unprecedented partnership agreement, initiated by
TF1 Studio, around the production of the event series “Le Bazar de la Charité”

Paris and Beverly Hills (California) – 26 March 2019: TF1, Europe’s leading private channel, and Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service, announce that they have signed a partnership agreement around the pre-financing of the event series “Le Bazar de la Charité”, a co-production by Quad Télévision and TF1.

The 8x52-minute event series, written by Catherine Ramberg and Karine Spreuzkouski, directed by Alexandre Laurent (La Mante, Le Secret d’Elise) and starring Audrey Fleurot (Engrenages, Intouchables, etc), Julie De Bona (Le Tueur du Lac, Le Secret d’Elise) and Camille Lou (Les bracelets rouges, Jusqu’ici tout va bien, etc), takes us to Paris in November 1897. In just a few minutes a devastating fire destroys the Bazar de la Charité, a building that houses a very popular charity event, leaving more than 130 dead, mainly high society women and their entourages.

Three women, Adrienne De Lenverpre[1], Alice De Jeansin[2], and her maid Rose Rivière[3] see their destinies turned upside down. Identity theft, forbidden love, radical life change, betrayal, emancipation: “Le Bazar de la Charité” plunges us into Parisian society at the end of the 19th century, as we follow the romantic destiny of its three heroines, supported by an all-star cast: Josiane Balasko (double Cesar-winning actress), Antoine Duléry, Florence Pernel, Gilbert Melki, Stéphane Guillon, Aurélien Wiik (winner of a Molière award), Théo Fernandez, Victor Meutelet and François-David Cardonnel.

This blockbuster production required five months of shooting, with 3000 extras, 1500 costumes, around a hundred carriages and barouches, 185 technicians and 150 days of preparation. This ambitious and resolutely modern series will be broadcast on TF1 in the second half of 2019.

This first major partnership between Netflix and a French broadcaster, which was initiated by TF1 Studio (distributor of the series on behalf of Quad Télévision), will allow Netflix to benefit for four years from SVOD worldwide exclusivity. The rights will be available for Netflix in France from the 8th day after first broadcast of the last episode of the series on TF1 and no later than the day after first broadcast of the last episode on TF1 for the rest of the world. The TF1 group’s linear rights are unchanged.

This unprecedented collaboration around an event series underlines TF1’s enduring ambition for French creation. As the leading private partner of French drama, TF1 holds 42 of the 50 best drama ratings in 2018, and already the first two with Les Bracelets rouges and Infidèle[4] in 2019.
 

Ara Aprikian, Executive Vice President Content at the TF1 group, says of the deal: “This is the first time Netflix has pre-financed an original series initiated by TF1 and the Quad Télévision production company. The link-up between TF1 and Netflix reflects the ambition around Bazar de la Charité, a resolutely modern French costume drama super-production. We already have experience of working with Netflix, on their acquisition of Une Chance de Trop (the first drama series in the world to be adapted from a Harlan Coben novel) and our original drama La Mante starring Carole Bouquet (which received international critical claim and was also directed by Alexandre Laurent), but this partnership around Bazar de la Charité marks a step change in relations between TF1 and Netflix. It reflects our willingness to invest more heavily in French drama of international quality. The deal lays down a framework for a fairer sharing of risks, rights and value between all the co-financing partners.”

Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix : “We are delighted with this new collaboration with TF1, which allows us a further opportunity to give worldwide exposure to ambitious, high-quality French drama. This unusual upstream agreement shows that we can find ingenious financing solutions to showcase French excellence, while bringing viewing pleasure to our members across 190 countries.”

Iris Bucher, CEO of Quad Télévision and series producer : “Le Bazar de la Charité is one of the most ambitious French drama projects of the decade. This partnership will throw an international spotlight on a home-produced series with Paris as the backdrop. I am delighted that this link-up will allow extraordinary exposure to a project that is itself extraordinary. The enthusiasm of TF1 and Netflix is a great coup for the actors, screenwriters and technicians, for the director Alexandre Laurent, and for the whole industry.”

About the TF1 group

The TF1 Group is the leading private-sector television broadcaster in France, with five unencrypted channels (TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films and LCI) and four pay-TV theme channels (TV Breizh, Histoire, Ushuaïa and Serieclub, the last of which is 50% owned). The Group is adding a highly effective digital dimension to our channels on MYTF1, and video-on-demand offers via MYTF1VOD and TFOU MAX.
The TF1 Group is also present in the production and distribution of content, mainly via Newen, through which it aims to accelerate international expansion of its production and distribution activities.
The TF1 Group has extended its digital footprint, in particular through the acquisition of the aufeminin group in April 2018. This led to the creation of its digital division Unify build around well-known brands such as Marmiton, MyLittleParis and Doctissimo, all of which support strong, engaged communities.
This has enhanced the Group’s offer and its ability to deploy federating, complementary special-interest themes to reach all audiences, especially women and millennials.
The TF1 Group has created a large range of businesses in key entertainment and leisure fields, with TF1 Entertainment (board games, music and live show production, licences and publishing) ; the film industry with TF1 Films Production and TF1 Studio.
The TF1 Group currently has a presence in 10 countries and employs 3,135 people.
The TF1 Group is quoted on the Paris stock exchange (Euronext Paris: ISIN FR0000054900).

About Netflix
Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

[1] Audrey Fleurot

[2] Camille Lou

[3] Julie De Bona

[4] Infidèle (6.1m) – Les Bracelets Rouges (6.4m)