France: Why Families Prefer Traditional TV for Cartoons Despite the Surge of Streaming Platforms

At a time when digital streaming platforms dominate many households across France, traditional linear television is experiencing a notable resurgence, fueled by animated programming and series aimed at children and young audiences. New releases continue to arrive on French screens, including comic book adaptations such as "Louca" and "Miraculous" on TF1, alongside the completely new TV premiere of "Dragon Ball Daima" and the highly anticipated "Mortelle Adèle" series, scheduled for November 14 on Gulli.

Strong Engagement Among Children and Youth for Live Broadcasts

Data reflects the enduring connection of new generations to the traditional screen; in 2025, approximately 75% of children aged 4 to 14 watched live television, with the figure rising to 80% among the 7 to 10 age group. The launch of the seventh season of the renowned French series "Miraculous," broadcast every Sunday at 8:35 AM on TF1, achieved a 26% audience share among children aged 4 to 10, outperforming rival channels and also attracting teenagers and adults, as confirmed by Yann Labasque, Director of Youth Programming at TF1 Group.

Television as a Tool to Set the Family's Daily Rhythm

With the arrival of autumn and cooler weather in France, families are once again gathering around the living room screen. M6 Group’s Gulli network launched "Dragon Ball Daima" to air every Wednesday morning at 9:15 AM, coinciding with the mid-week school holiday in France. Julien Figge, Deputy General Manager for Youth Programming at M6, explains that the goal is to unite family members in a shared morning ritual that individual digital streaming platforms struggle to replicate.

Many households, including North African and resident families in France, view traditional television with its fixed schedules as a helpful factor in structuring the home routine and organizing breakfast and morning departures for school, away from the chaos of endless scrolling on tablets.

Safe Content and Psychological Review Reassuring Parents

Beyond time management, live broadcasting offers a safe environment often missing from open digital platforms. Children's programming on French television, such as TFOU shows, undergoes review and vetting by psychologists and artistic consultants to ensure that storylines, dialogues, and episode lengths are appropriate for the target age groups and their emotional development.

For instance, "Mortelle Adèle," adapted from a comic book series that has sold a record 30 million copies, will feature 78 episodes lasting no more than 7 minutes each, perfectly suited to the time children have before heading to school. Television scheduling also serves as a gateway to discovering new cartoon worlds, breaking the algorithmic confinement of digital platforms that often traps children in repetitive content.