TF1 Delays Broadcast of the 2026 Koh-Lanta Finale Due to Schedule Change

TF1 will delay the final episode of the current season of Koh-Lanta because it clashes with a major live sports broadcast. The channel had originally planned to air the season’s conclusion on June 16, but the finale will now be moved to avoid competing with France’s first match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to air the same evening on M6. France, coached by Didier Deschamps, will begin its tournament against Senegal in New Jersey, with M6 preparing extensive pre-match and post-match coverage for the 9 p.m. kickoff. Instead of the Koh-Lanta finale, TF1 will broadcast a rerun of the TV movie Monk: le retour.

The postponement means viewers will have to wait longer to learn the identity of the season’s winner, who will succeed Gaelle, the 2025 champion. This season has used the “relics of destiny” twist, which has added extra tension to the game and influenced the competition through key strategic decisions. The final outcome will reward not only the most skilled contestant in the orientation challenge, but also the most unifying player in the final jury vote. The winner will receive the show’s trophy along with the €100,000 prize.

TF1’s decision reflects the huge audience draw of France’s national team during major international tournaments. Recent World Cup and other big-match broadcasts have regularly delivered some of the year’s highest ratings. In 2022, France’s opening match against Australia attracted 12.53 million viewers on TF1, and six France games that year passed the 10 million viewer mark. The 2022 World Cup final against Argentina was an exceptional ratings event, drawing an average of 24.08 million viewers and dominating television audiences across the country.

By contrast, Koh-Lanta remains a strong performer but on a smaller scale, with around 2.5 million loyal viewers tuning in to the latest episode. The show’s penultimate stage, the orientation challenge, is still set to air on June 9 in its usual slot. After that, viewers will have to wait at least two more weeks before the final three contestants compete on the famous poles and the last two face the jury to determine who deserves to join the list of Koh-Lanta winners.