American media giant Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is on the cusp of securing the exclusive rights to broadcast the Tour de France (TDF) in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2026.
British broadcast television network ITV have covered the event for almost 25 years, but the deal with WBD will close the chapter on their free-to-air (FTA) coverage.
WBD already owns partial rights to broadcast the men’s and women’s events, distributing the responsibility to their Eurosport channel with the terrestrial ITV4.
However, they have agreed a big-money exclusivity deal with the event’s organisers, meaning the Tour will no longer be shown on any local TV across the region.
The End of an Era in the UK
ITV initially secured the rights to broadcast the event back in 2001. The 2025 edition will be the 25th consecutive Tour that they will cover, but it will also be their last.
Fans in the UK will have to turn to WBD’s channels like Eurosport and Discovery+ for access to the Tour from 2026, with local TV in the region set to be dropped.
Unlike their UK counterparts, cycling fans in Australia will have FTA access to the event through a familiar broadcast channel – SBS.
The network has been a trusted platform for cycling fans in Australia for decades. They renewed their rights to cover the event back in 2020.
The deal will see them cover the event until 2030 when the partnership between the network and Tour de France will hit the four-decade mark.
SBS keeps fans in the loop and ensures they don’t miss a beat from the action, covering every twist, turn and climb of the Tour, which is often accompanied by expert commentary.
SBS Coverage Will Boost Betting Interest in Australia
The Australian betting community will welcome the news as the FTA broadcast allows bettors to closely monitor all the live action from the Tour and tweak their wagers as the action unfolds.
Cycling has grown in popularity in Australia over the years, and betting sites are now expanding their markets to keep up with the increased demands from bettors.
Many of the top betting apps in Australia have responded quickly to potential opportunities from the Tour, offering streaming options that could come in handy at key phases of the race.
Other gambling operators will also use this opportunity to roll out unique features and betting promotions to lure more bettors to their platform.
SBS has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the organisers of the Tour de France – ASO. That goes to show just how much the network is keen on the Tour and their commitment to the Aussie fan base.
The broadcast deal not only offers live TV coverage but also provides streaming options to make sure the race is accessible to Aussie fans and punters anywhere in the world.
NBC’s Streaming Platforms Offer US Cycling Fans Access to the TDF
The Tour de France has historically been tough to sell to general audiences in the United States, but the race still maintains a decent fan base there.
The appeal of cycling as a sport has made huge strides in some of the biggest cities around the world, which made its exclusive broadcast rights a highly sought-after commodity.
WBD got to it first in the British market, but fans Stateside can follow all the action through NBC Sports. NBC has been the go-to platform for the Tour de France in the US since 2001.
NBC has invested heavily in promoting the Tour. They broadcast crucial stages of the event and provide full coverage through their streaming platforms.
The network’s streaming services require a subscription, but they provide a different level of accessibility and engagement than SBS’s FTA model in Australia.
Cycling coverage tends to be shoehorned into larger sports packages in the US, making it more difficult for fans to follow the event as it progresses.
That’s where NBC’s streaming services come in. However, while they can offer extensive coverage, the fact that it sits behind a paywall automatically limits accessibility for some viewers.
The post Tour de France Heading into a New Broadcasting Era appeared first on PezCycling News.
