The Tour de France will move away from free-to-air television in 2026 for the first time in the race’s history.
Warner Bros Discovery and Eurosport have secured exclusive rights to broadcast the Tour from 2026 to 2030, with the deal also including an expansion in coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and La Vuelta across Europe.
The Tour de France has been broadcast on ITV since 2001, with the likes of Gary Imlach, Ned Boulting and David Millar leading the coverage in recent years, but next year will be the final race before the move away from free-to-air television in the UK.
There has not yet been any confirmation on whether a highlights package will be available for ITV or any other channel.
“For many years, we have been trusted to act as the custodian for cycling and have worked tirelessly to maximise the opportunities fans have to engage with their favourite sport,” Trojan Paillot, head of sports rights acquisitions at Warner Bros Discovery, said.
“Our commitment to cycling has seen us invest in the most comprehensive live rights portfolio, which includes every men’s and women’s Grand Tour race, and we’re delighted to now extend our relationship with our partners at ASO and [European Broadcasting Union] to take us into a fifth decade of covering the world’s greatest races including the Tour de France.”
ITV commentator Matt Rendell posted on social media: “I guess you’ll have heard the news, that 2025 is to be ITV’s last Tour de France. Surprised (no free-to-air for London 2027??). Slightly in shock. No Gary presenting the Tour. Hard to believe.”
