Giro d’Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart has said the rising cost of watching cycling in the UK is a “huge problem” and a “huge shame” for cycling fans.
In a candid Instagram post, the 29-year-old became one of the first UK pros to speak openly about the issue, and called on viewers to “question the monopoly” over cycling coverage in the UK.
Geoghegan Hart’s comments follow the news on Tuesday morning that Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is shutting down its Eurosport channels in the UK next month, and moving its cycling coverage to TNT Sports, a premium service that costs £30.99 a month. Until now, most UK viewers have received Eurosport free with their TV packages, or have been able to purchase a Discovery+ pass for £6.99.
This cost is now set to rise from £83.88 to £371.88 annually.
“Let’s be clear, the sport going behind such a large paywall is a huge problem,” Geoghegan Hart said.
“Professional sports are all competing for the same audience. Cycling is completely reliant on this audience, it is how teams justify themselves to sponsors spending millions a year. Only a few teams can realistically promise a sponsor to win the Tour, but all teams can demonstrate good ROI when capturing so many eyes, hearts & minds. It’s not only wins that can be of value. It’s the journey and the heartache too.
“I find it hard to believe many fans will be able to justify this increase in costs to follow our races and those of our female colleagues. This is a huge shame,” the Lidl-Trek rider continued.
Some within WBD have argued the increased price will help the company invest back into the sport and its teams.
“To be clear on something that many don’t understand,” Geoghegan Hart said, “teams receive zero remuneration from tv rights.
“For amateur riders, cycling has become a very expensive sport or passion. Now as a British fan, following the upper echelons of the sport has also suddenly and massively increased in cost. I think it is now very relevant to realise where this money is going and where it is not. And perhaps to question the monopoly held over the sports U.K. coverage.”
WBD’s decision to move cycling to its more expensive TNT Sports offering came in a plan to align its sports coverage in a “single destination”, said Scott Young, group senior vice president of WBD Sports Europe.
“What’s more important is the ecosystem of sports content in this market, and for sports fans now to come to one destination, and not try and pick which destination they’ve got to go to,” he said.
The changes, and price rise, will come into effect this 28 February. From 2026, the Tour de France will also be shown exclusively on TNT Sports in the UK, with no free-to-air live coverage.
