Free-to-air coverage of the Tour de France in Britain is expected to still be available from 2026 after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Eurosport secured exclusive broadcast rights in a deal which runs until 2030.
The deal between the Tour's organiser, ASO, and the two broadcasters means that ITV will no longer show live coverage and highlights of the French Grand Tour after this summer which came as a bitter blow to cycling fans in the UK. This followed the closure of GCN+ at the end of the previous season.
However, Cycling Weekly understands that free-to-air coverage of the Tour is likely to remain, albeit on a different channel, as part of the new broadcast arrangements. It was already understood that WBD was "exploring" the option of showing free-to-air highlights.
It is understood that WBD is exploring an array of different possibilities to ensure that a potential free-to-air component will be included for the new rights period, to ensure cycling fans without subscriptions in the UK don’t miss out on the event.
Sources pointed out that the broadcaster already shows a range of different sports on Quest, a free TV channel under their control, in Britain, which includes a Giro d’Italia highlights show. A spokesperson for WBD opted not to comment on the possibility of Quest as a host.
The Tour has been available on free-to-air television in Britain since the 1980s. It was initially shown on Channel 4 before it moved to ITV in 2001.
The 2025 edition of the race will be the 25th and final time that viewers can enjoy ITV commentary from David Millar and Ned Boulting, as well as the expert insight and analysis provided from Gary Imlach, Chris Boardman, Matt Rendell, and Daniel Friebe before the new deal comes into effect.
“If I’m perfectly honest, It’s been coming. It’s not an entire surprise. I’ve seen the writing on the wall, and ultimately, if you step back and think about the economics of the way it works and everything, it’s not a huge surprise,” Boulting said at the time of the announcement.
“Obviously, though, we have one more year left: next year. Obviously, though, on a personal level, I am struggling to find the exact right words, but I’m a little bit shaken up by it because, it goes without saying, the race I’ve been fortunate enough, very privileged to get to know as well as I have done, for as long as I have done, feels like it’s moving away from me.”
Eurosport began showing the Tour de France in 1991 and has gradually become known as the “home of cycling” due to its extensive racing coverage throughout the course of the season.
