Emily Monaco
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19 French TV Websites Where You’ll Enjoy “Le Zapping” (Channel Surfing)
Are you ready to channel surf à la française ?
Channel surfing, a.k.a. le zapping , is a French pastime that can be enjoyed from your sofa.
There are lots of opportunities to watch French TV online. You just need to know which sites to visit!
Contents
- 1. Canal+
- 2. TV5MONDE
- 3. Arte
- 4. Netflix
- 5. YouTube
- 6. France 24
- 7. France tv
- 8. FranceTV
- 9. France Channel
- 10. 6play
- 11. BFMTV
- 12. DieuTV
- 13. Gulli
- 14. L’Équipe (The Team)
- 15. LCP-Assemblée nationale (LCP-National Assembly)
- 16. Melody TV
- 17. La 1ère (The 1st)
- 18. Vosges TV
- 19. Euronews
- And one more thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Canal+
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Canal+ is a private channel that’s home to some of France’s best original programming. For example, if you’re looking for TV shows that were originally in French or French dubs of shows in other languages, you can find these via their M6 arm.
I also like that they’ve partnered with major platforms such as Disney+ and Netflix to bring you the best of French TV from around the web.
2. TV5MONDE
Price: Free
TV5MONDE is one channel that’s actually available via certain cable providers, so you can watch French TV on your TV! But if you don’t have TV5MONDE, you can access this wealth of news on your phone, too.
The awesome thing about TV5MONDE is that they have a section specifically for French learners, Langue Française. They have various videos of different lengths that you can play and study while you tune in to French news.
3. Arte
Price: Free
Arte is a Franco-German network famous for its artistic and often avant-garde films and shows.
Arte has a VOD platform that allows users to digitally borrow films and shows from their collection. Classic French cinema and documentaries are on offer, as are replays of your favorite French music artists’ concerts.
4. Netflix
Price: See pricing plans here
You can watch a ton of French movies and TV shows on your phone thanks to Netflix!
The great thing about Netflix is that you can change the audio and subtitles of whatever you’re watching to French if it’s available for the particular show you’re watching. On the other hand, some shows get taken off the platform after a certain period, so be sure to catch them soon after they’ve aired.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the French language and culture over time. You’ll learn French as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews and web series, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive subtitles.
You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used.
For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:
Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with FluentU's adaptive quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning and play the mini-games found in the dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."
As you study, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a 100% personalized experience.
It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.
Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play stores.
5. YouTube
Price: Free
What better place to livestream video content than the world’s biggest video-sharing platform? If you want to find native French content on YouTube (as opposed to French learner content), go to your Settings (the gear icon) and switch your location to France or any other French-speaking country.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll have more than enough French videos to watch for days! And in case you’re not quite sure what to watch on YouTube, here’s a handy list to help you out.
6. France 24
Price: Free
France 24 is one of France’s biggest TV news outlets—if not the biggest one. Just hit the link above, and you can stream their YouTube channel live no matter where you are (i.e., you don’t have to use a VPN to get around region-locked content).
In case you miss anything, just hit “Replay” and choose either émissions (broadcasts) or reportages (reports).
7. France tv
Price: Free
France tv is home to an excellent selection of TV series, documentaries and movies.
But if you prefer content that’s a little more grounded in real life, you can also click “Plus” and pick from any of the options in the dropdown menu such as sports, art de vivre (lifestyle) and even enfants (content for kids).
8. FranceTV
Price: Free
Available on: Android
Don’t confuse this one with the last entry—they aren’t affiliated at all! That said, the FranceTV app allows you to access a wide variety of French TV channels on your Android phone. (Sorry, iOS users: it seems like this one isn’t available for your device yet.)
The channels are categorized into “Music,” “Entertainment,” “Education,” “Family,” “Movies” and “Automotive,” making it easier to find shows that fit your interests.
9. France Channel
Price: $7.99 (monthly subscriptions); $79.99 (yearly subscriptions)
France Channel is one of the more beginner-friendly options on this list. In fact, the shows on this site come with English as well as French subtitles.
You can browse through some great movies and documentary series, access major news sites like France 24 or watch content specifically aimed at learners.
10. 6play
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
6play is yet another major streaming platform that brings together the best of French TV from all over the internet.
You can go to les derniers replays (the latest replays), which is exactly what it says on the tin, or give their classic French shows a whirl.
11. BFMTV
Price: Free
Like France 24, BFMTV is a major news channel that covers events around the world around the clock.
If you still have cable TV, there’s a good chance BFMTV is somewhere in the lineup. Otherwise, you can always stream their content for free on your phone!
12. DieuTV
Price: Free
As the dieu (God) in the name suggests, DieuTV streams shows with a Christian slant.
If that doesn’t put you off, they have a decent selection of shows, documentaries and even coverage of French-speaking nations in Africa.
13. Gulli
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Need something to keep your little French learner preoccupied while you’re busy? Get them on Gulli, where they’ll be exposed to French versions of classic cartoons.
Of course, if you want to indulge in a little bit of nostalgia with a French twist, you can also watch these shows for yourself!
14. L’Équipe (The Team)
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Those who love sports and learning French will probably love L’Equipe . It features both live and replayed videos of games in France or games that the French are invested in.
Unfortunately, you need a VPN to access their region-locked videos. Here’s a great article on how to use a VPN to access French TV online.
15. LCP-Assemblée nationale (LCP-National Assembly)
Price: Free
Available on: Website
If French politics is more your cup of tea, you can also tune in to the broadcasts on La Chaîne parlementaire-Assemblée nationale (The Parliamentary Channel-National Assembly).
You can watch French politicians debate on important national issues—and perhaps privately agree or disagree with their arguments and rhetoric.
16. Melody TV
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Have a taste for vintage French music? Melody TV has you covered—whether you’re looking for songs that originally came in the form of vinyl records or 90s music from the likes of Celine Dion.
You have to sign up to access the content, though, and having a premium subscription gets you even more perks.
17. La 1ère (The 1st)
Price: Free
If you’re looking for an app that’s all about news from France’s former overseas territories, La 1ère has you covered.
There are tidbits here from countries often overlooked in mainstream media such as Martinique, Mayotte, Polynesia and more. That means La 1ère is yet another platform where you don’t need a VPN to access all of the French content.
18. Vosges TV
Price: Free
Although Vosges TV also covers topics like politics and economics, it leans toward lifestyle and the environment more than anything else.
It’s great for when you want to immerse yourself in French culture but feel overwhelmed by the constant barrage of 24/7 news.
19. Euronews
Price: Free
Not only is Euronews one of the most popular news outlets in Europe, but it’s also the most beginner-friendly for language learners.
In case you’re still struggling with your French, you can always switch to the version of the site in your native language.
For specific show recommendations, check out this post:
30 Best French TV Series on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and YouTube in 2023 | FluentU French Blog
Want to watch a French TV show on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and YouTube, but don’t know where to start? Check out this list, which includes comedies, dramas, crime shows,…
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And one more thing...
If you like learning French on your own time and from the comfort of your smart device, then I'd be remiss to not tell you about FluentU.
FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.
For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:
Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."
All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.
Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play stores.
