Ahead of this summer’s Tour de France, many UK cycling fans were preparing for the prospect of no longer being able to follow the action on TV, after the demise of ITV’s free-to-air coverage last year.
The broadcaster decided not to renew their rights deal for the 2026 race and beyond, leaving Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), parent company of TNT Sports, as the exclusive UK rightsholder for cycling’s premier three-week race.
“I think you need to have a free-to-air product [for the Tour de France] and there will be a free-to-air product,” he explained.
WBD already collaborates with free-to-air broadcasters for other major sporting events, such as the Olympics and FA Cup – English football’s main domestic knockout competition – with the BBC, and has held similar arrangements with ITV for rugby union and MotoGP. WBD also has Quest, a free-to-air TV channel within their portfolio that has previously aired cycling highlights.
The controversial price hike
ITV’s departure from the UK cycling landscape in 2025 was marked as a major blow to the sport, with concerns raised about the impact a reduction in visibility could have on cycling’s long-term health at all levels.
It coincided with the closure of Eurosport in the UK, and a subsequent rise in monthly subscription cost – from £6.99 to £30.99 a month, a 343% price hike – as cycling moved over to TNT Sports.
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