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NETFLIX is adopting broadcast channels for the first time after nearly all but killing off traditional linear TV.

The streaming giant is picking up channels from TF1 Group, France’s biggest commercial broadcaster, as part of a recently inked deal.

AFP

TF1 offers scripted dramas, live sports and reality shows like The Voice[/caption]

Getty

Only Netflix subscribers in France will be able to tune into the bonus content, the FT noted[/caption]

Viewers will be able to watch all five TF1 live channels, the Financial Times reported.

The deal will reportedly bring an additional 30,000 hours worth of telly to Netflix next summer.

TF1 offers scripted dramas, live sports and reality shows like The Voice.

Only Netflix subscribers in France will be able to tune into the bonus content, the FT noted.

However, if the partnership is successful, more linear channels may jump to streaming services in other parts of Europe and the US in future.

Netflix will first wait to see how the TF1 deal fares before cutting any more broadcasting deals, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement.

The companies did not reveal how much the deal was worth.

Peters added that the partnership would help boost subscriber engagement.

Netflix has further turned its attention to engagement, after pivoting away from sharing subscriber counts.

“By teaming up with France’s leading broadcaster, we will provide French consumers with even more reasons to come to Netflix every day and to stay with us for all their entertainment,” Peters said.

The deal also means TF1 gets more eyeballs on the adverts it airs between shows.

“As viewing habits shift toward on-demand consumption and audience fragmentation increases, this unprecedented alliance will enable our premium content to reach unparalleled audiences and unlock new reach for advertisers within an ecosystem that perfectly complements our TF1+ [streaming] platform,” Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of TF1 Group, said in a statement.

It comes as streaming overtakes traditional TV for the first time in terms of viewership numbers.

The milestone marks a steady shift towards internet-based telly, which has seen a near-doubling of streaming viewership since 2021 when it made up 26 per cent of TV use.

Today that percentage stands at nearly 45 per cent, according to the latest figures released by Nielsen earlier this week.

“It’s a credit to media companies,” said Karthik Rao, boss of data specialist Nielsen, which launched its Gauge report on viewing statistics in May 2021.

“They have deftly adapted their programming strategies to meet their viewers where they are watching TV, whether it’s on streaming or linear platforms.”

Netflix claims to have “over” 300million subscribers.

The deal would also allow Netflix to grow its audience in France.

As of 2022, Netflix had 10million French subscribers, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at the time.

While TF1 Group’s broadcast channels have 58million viewers per month, according to the FT.

Its streaming service, TF1+, also reportedly boasts 35million users per month.

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Streaming recently overtook traditional TV for the first time in terms of viewership numbers[/caption]

EASTENDERS has waved goodbye to another character in a shock exit in today’s episode.

The BBC soap has only just seen returnee Zoe Slater leave three days after her comeback – and now another member of the family is off to find her.

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Alfie is off to track Zoe down without Kat knowing[/caption]

BBC

Kat is trusting Alfie to go to Australia – and she has no idea he’s lying to her[/caption]

With Stacey telling Alfie that Zoe has done a moonlight flit to Barcelona on her credit cards, he came up with a plan.

Telling her not to cancel them, he said they could track where she was with it and find her to bring her home for a reunion with her mum Kat.

But with Alfie unable to tell Kat where he was really going, instead he lied and claimed he was going to Australia to see his brother Spencer who was struggling.

And it’s EastEnders, it’s likely that Kat will discover his lies and jump to the wrong conclusion, putting their marriage at risk.

It comes just a day after Zoe fled to Barcelona, after her brief return scenes.

The BBC soap has confirmed that Michelle will return later this summer for a permanent comeback.

EastEnders new boss, Executive Producer Ben Wadey added: “Before I even stepped into the role, Zoe Slater was on my wish-list of returnees as, although we haven’t seen her on screen for twenty years, her character has transcended time due to her popular storylines.”

Speaking on her return to the BBC soap, Michelle said: “It feels like coming home.

“After doing my first few scenes, it was like I’d never been away. 

“It all happened at the right time.

“I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell) and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show, and I’d also joined social media and saw that there was still a lot of love for the character. 

“It just so happened that at the same time, EastEnders had announced a new Exec who was keen to explore the potential of a return as he was such a massive fan of Zoe and the Slaters, so both of our worlds aligned at the right time, and I’m so excited to be back. 

“When I was pitched the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.” 

THE current weather in the UK is making it hard to get dressed for the day while being comfortable.

Fortunately, M&S has the perfect buy for the summer months that will keep you cool.

M&S

Shoppers are going wild for these M&S trousers[/caption]

M&S

Not only will they keep you cool during the summer, they have pockets too[/caption]

M&S

The trousers are available in ten colours[/caption]

And the summer buy seems to be a massive hit with fashion fans who are constantly raving about how stylish they are.

The M&S Linen Blend Wide Leg Trousers are a summer staple for any wardrobe.

These stunning trousers can be dressed up with a pair of heels or worn casually with a T-shirt and trainers.

The linen material ensures you stay cool during the summer heat, while the wide leg shape helps get some breeze into the legs.

What’s more, the linen trousers have an elasticated waist, making them super comfy even if you’ve eaten too much at the barbecue.

These must-have trousers come in a variety of sizes and lengths to suit any body shape.

They have petite, regular and long sizes and start at size 6, going up to a 24.

There are also ten colours up for grabs, including bold red and blue or a more demure black and beige.

And as if that wasn’t enough, these versatile trousers also come with pockets.

M&S bosses say: “These linen-rich trousers are designed in a breezy wide-leg shape, making them perfect for warm-weather days.

“They fasten with a drawstring at the comfortable high rise waist.

“Handy side pockets and patch pockets at the back complete this practical pair.”

Customers who have already bought the trousers have given them rave reviews.

One person wrote: “These are fine as everyday linen trousers, I’ve got a few colours. The pull-through cord at the waist ensures a close fit.”

Another commented: “Lovely comfy trousers will be ordering in another colour.”

“Excellent trousers bang on size, quality and material – bought blue and love the brightness,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “I bought bright red as I wanted something different for a summer special ‘do’ They are perfect!”

“Amazing linen trousers – they wash well and fit is great. I buy them every year,” claimed a fifth.

Someone else added: “Really comfy and stylish trousers I would buy more colours.”

EAMONN Holmes has hit out at ‘horrible’ celebrities and admitted ‘there are so many false’ stars.

The GB News presenter, 65, hosts podcast Things We Like with Eamonn and Paul, alongside Paul Coyte.

GB News

Eamonn Holmes has hit out at ‘horrible’ celebrities[/caption]

YouTube / Things We Like with Eamonn & Paul

Eamonn and Paul Coyte welcomed Ray Winstone to their podcast[/caption]

While speaking to guest Ray Winstone, Eamonn opened up on inner-workings in the industry.

He said: “If I don’t like someone, they’ll know I don’t like them.

“And there’s so many horrible people that you end up… people say, “He’s lovely, he’s fantastic”.

“They’ll say to me, ‘What’s that Ray Winstone like?’ and I’ll say, ‘He is lovely, he is fantastic’.

“People won’t believe me because I wouldn’t say if you weren’t.

“There are so many who are just false, false, false.”

Eamonn once had a long-standing feud with former This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield.

Phil hosted the show alongside Holly Willoughby, while Eamonn fronted Friday and half-term editions with then-wife Ruth Langsford.

Tensions boiled over in 2019 when Schofe cut off Ruth while she was in the middle of a live link, teasing what was coming up on Loose Women.

The incident ultimately led to Ruth making a complaint over his behaviour to ITV.

Previously speaking about it, Eamonn said: “Phillip is renowned for snubbing people.

“He’s very passive-aggressive. It’s up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that.

“I have a good Belfast street fighter in me… I would be direct. I don’t go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence.”

Earlier this year, Eamonn posed with Anthea Turner after ending their bitter 10-year feud.

Former GMTV hosts, Eamonn, 65, and Anthea, 64, seemed all smiles in the Instagram post.

The Northern Irishman affectionately placed a hand over Anthea’s shoulder.

Eamonn captioned the snap: “We’re the same age @antheaturner and I and have had careers of similar length but my paper round must have been harder than hers! Top Girl.”

This reunion came more than two decades after their infamous fallout.

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Eamonn once had a feud with This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield[/caption]

A WOMAN bursts into tears at a sexy party as the reality of an open relationship leaves her overwhelmed – despite begging her partner to explore it.

In tomorrow night’s episode of Channel 4’s Open House: The Great Sex Experiment, which sees couples take steps towards non-monogamy, Essex girl Sharmayne’s fantasy doesn’t go to plan.

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Sharmayne gets tearful during a sex party in the next episode of Open House[/caption]

Channel 4

She tells husband Jamie she’s feeling overwhelmed[/caption]

Surrounded by glamorously dressed couples and singletons, Sharmayne, 26, admits to her husband Jamie, 29, that it’s all a bit too much.

She tells him: “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.”

He responds: “Do you want to take a little break?”

The pair head outside for some fresh air and Sharmayne immediately becomes tearful.

She says: “I just feel overwhelmed. It’s just a bit much for me, the whole situation.”

Showing compassion, Jamie reassures her: “We’re not obligated to do anything. This is our journey.”

Sharmayne continues: “I’m just uncomfortable.”

Their Open House future is left hanging in the balance with Jamie asking: “Where do we go from here?”

Confused Sharmayne says: “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to hold myself together now. 

“I really don’t want to do it. I just want to go home.”

Her reaction to the unconventional world of swinging isn’t unusual on the show. Often one or both parties in a relationship are left grappling with their emotions as their significant other hooks up with third parties.

Last week, non-monogamy expert Effy Blue suggested couple Tom and Lauren get intimate with other people.

After returning to their room, Lauren told Tom: “Don’t be nervous. 

“You absolutely got this.”

Lauren admitted it was her idea to take part on the show – saying she felt like they had been “thrown in at the deep end”.

She told the camera: “But to be able to have him to have the confidence that we can go off, have our fun, come back to each other at the end of the night and it’s absolutely insane.”

Things got too intense for Tom, who retreated to the bathroom to be sick.

The narrator then said: “But the thought of flying solo entirely naked isn’t sitting well with Tom.”

Channel 4

The reaction causes a stir among the guests[/caption]

Channel 4

It had been Sharmayne’s idea to take part in the show[/caption]

The Great Sex Experiment

Tom could be heard vomiting in the toilet and looked distressed.

He confessed: “This is going to be horrible,’ to which Lauren replied: “I just want to cuddle you.”

Tom added: “I feel absolutely petrified and sick.”

The week before, there were more tears when couple Alana and Alex had a threesome with another woman called Georgie.

After the deed was done, Alex struggled with how intense Georgie and Alana’s connection had been.

He could be seen silently crying in bed as his girlfriend fell asleep.

Open House continues tomorrow night on Channel 4 at 10pm

PALMEIRAS’ Club World Cup clash with Al-Ahly has been suspended due to lightning in the area.

The Brazilians led 2-0 on 62 minutes, when English referee Anthony Taylor was forced to stop the game in New York.

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A YOUNG man has appeared in court over a fatal road accident in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow last year in which a 15-year-old girl was killed.

The 18-year-old from west Wicklow, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of dangerous driving causing death.

The offence occurred at Slaney Park, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow on May 5, 2024.

Molly Dempsey, 15, from Whitehall Park, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, who was a passenger in the car driven by the accused, suffered fatal injuries in the single-vehicle collision.

The driver, who was uninjured in the incident, was arrested at the scene of the crash by gardai.

The defendant, who was accompanied to court by his father, also pleaded guilty to two related charges of driving without insurance and driving without a driving licence.

There were emotional scenes in the courtroom as members of the victim’s family wept openly as the charges were read out by the court registrar.

Judge Terence O’Sullivan noted that the accused had entered an early guilty plea to the charges.

He remanded the young man on continuing bail and directed that a probation report be prepared for the case.

Counsel for the DPP, James Kelly BL, also applied for a victim impact statement to be provided by a member of the deceased’s family.

The judge adjourned the case until early October to fix a date for a sentencing hearing.

Molly, the youngest of nine children in her family, was a student at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass.

Her death was the third tragedy to strike her family as her parents, Nigel and Mary, also previously suffered the deaths of two of their sons – Roy in 2007 aged 13 and Killian in 2016 aged 16.

rip.ie

GALAL YAFAI would be so tired from training that he would nod off during his factory shifts – but he never slept on his Olympic dream.

The pint-sized flyweight had to watch older brothers Kal and Gamal win titles in the professional ranks while he worked overnight for Land Rover.

PA

Galal Yafai won Olympic gold in 2021[/caption]

And juggling the exhausting shifts with training almost caused him to throw in the towel on his boxing career – before he got on the Team GB squad.

Yafai, 32, told SunSport: “It was a Land Rover factory in Solihull, they’ve got a big factory there that build the Land Rovers Discoveries and Defenders.

“So I was working there, delivering the parts and whatnot for like three years in the factory. So it’s full time it’s proper work, it weren’t part time.

“So I kind of had to juggle boxing and work at the same time for three/four years and I actually got to a point where I was going to quit boxing.

“I just thought, you know what, I’m 22, 23, now, I’m enjoying life. I’m going out and getting paid. I got my apartment with my brother and I was just enjoying life.

“But just the stress of work too, it was getting hard to juggle boxing so luckily I got onto the Great Britain team, just before I decided to leave.”

Yafai would train from 5pm, clock in for work at 8pm and finish sometimes at 7am – before doing it all again.

He hated it so much that the boxer was inspired to go to the Olympics – just so he could finally hand in his P45 after sleeping on the job.

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Yafai said: “It was just a nightmare. I’d have to train and go straight to work and do an eight-nine hour shift. I used to dread going into work.

“I remember I used to see my brothers boxing, as pros and think, ‘Oh, they’re so lucky to get to just box for a living. I have to go to work and I have to train as well.’

“It was hard training too so I’d have to to box and go straight to work, which was a nightmare, and do an eight hour shift.

“I remember I’d fall asleep on my little buggy, I used to drive a buggy around and I used to fall asleep on there sometimes and some of the gaffers would go mad at me.

“But yeah, I just thought, ‘You know what, I need to stick at this because I could do something.’ And thank God it worked out.”

Yafai packed up his job and became a full-time amateur boxer for Team GB – earning a spot on the 2020 Tokyo team.

And after winning gold, Yafai turned pro a year later with Eddie Hearn and the hopes of replicating older brother Kal – the ex-WBA world champion.

And Yafai made a super-quick start in the paid ranks – boxing in a ten-rounder for the WBC International title in his very first bout.

He said: “Me and my coach thought I was good enough to start off in ten rounders.

I used to drive a buggy around and I used to fall asleep on there sometimes and some of the gaffers would go mad at me.

Galal Yafai

“And Eddie said, ‘Well, why not go for an international title?’ We were like, ‘Brilliant.’

“But I want to get to a world title, so any minor title in between is, yeah, not too bad, I won’t put it up on my mantelpiece, but it’s nice to have.

“It just so happened to be WBC International and hopefully I’ll be fighting for the WBC full title soon.”

Yafai returns on Saturday in his home of Birmingham against Francisco Rodriguez Jr, Mexico’s former WBO champ.

Awaiting the winner is a shot at unified WBA and WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji.

Yafai said: “I’d expect it, but you never know in boxing. Rodriguez is a top five competitor.

“He’s a former champion, he fought the best of the best, so it’s not an easy fight. People don’t really know him too well but I can’t look past him.

“He’s a really good fighter and that’s the thing nowadays, if people don’t know who you’re fighting, they don’t think they’re that good, which is the biggest mistake someone can make because he’s a really good fighter but he’s just not hugely well known here.

“I’m not looking past him. He’s a great fighter and hopefully I can get rid of him Saturday.”

Instagram / matchroomboxing

Gamal Yafai, Galal, amateur coach Frank O’Sullivan and Kal[/caption]

Incoming PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has received an early vote of confidence from top players Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

The news of the appointment came ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.

Rolapp, who brings over 20 years of experience from the NFL where he served as chief media and business officer.

He will officially take over from current commissioner Jay Monahan in 2026.

Monahan, who has held the role for a decade, is expected to assist with a smooth transition.

And Holywood hotshot McIlroy speaking before the final ‘signature’ tournament of the PGA Tour season, admitted he hasn’t yet met Rolapp but believes the appointment is a major step forward for the tour.

The Grand Slam champion said: “He’s certainly said all the right things and he has an amazing background with two decades in the NFL.

“He’s helped them expand internationally and help them become the behemoth they have become.

“For him to bring that experience, I think it will be amazing and it’s great that Jay is there to help with the smooth transition.”

Rolapp addressed the PGA Tour membership earlier in the week before world number one Scheffler was left encouraged by the appointment.

The 2025 PGA champion said: “I think it’s exciting to have some new leadership. The first time I heard him speak was yesterday, so I really don’t know much about him.

“I liked what I heard yesterday. Our board and Jay have put a lot of research into finding his successor and to get someone from high up in the NFL is pretty cool.

“He has a lot of experience and some new thought processes he can bring to the tour. I think it’s exciting.”

Rolapp’s focus is expected to centre on strengthening the Tour’s commercial model and global reach at a time of unprecedented change within professional golf amid the ongoing LIV Golf divide.

DRIVERS have been warned of traffic chaos building on the M4 this evening.

Bumper-to-bumper queues have formed on the major motorway after a horror car fire erupted.

Two lanes were shut down on the M4 westbound between J34 A4119 (Miskin) and J35 A473 (Pencoed).

A National Highways South-West spokesperson said: “#M4 westbound between J16 #Swindon and J17 #Cirencester #Chippenham #Wiltshire TRAFFIC STOPPED Vehicle fire, @DWFireRescue on scene. Delays building (currently 30 mins).”

x/HighwaysSWEST

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