ITV’s coverage concludes in 2025 after Warner Bros. Discovery signs exclusive deal with ASO
Free-to-air broadcasts of the Tour de France in the UK are expected to continue from 2026, despite Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Eurosport securing exclusive rights to the race through a deal lasting until 2030.
The new agreement, made between race organiser ASO and the two broadcasters, will end ITV’s longstanding coverage of the prestigious event, marking the conclusion of live race broadcasts and highlights by the channel after this summer. This move follows the closure of GCN+ at the end of the last season, which had further disappointed cycling fans in the UK.
However, Cycling Weekly has learned that free-to-air coverage of the Tour is still likely to be available, albeit on a different channel as part of the new broadcast deal. Sources confirm that WBD is exploring ways to include free-to-air highlights, ensuring that UK cycling fans without subscriptions won’t miss out on the race.
WBD has a history of offering free-to-air sports content, notably through Quest, a channel it controls in the UK, where highlights of the Giro d’Italia are already aired. While a WBD spokesperson declined to comment on whether Quest would be the new host for Tour de France highlights, the possibility remains.
The Tour de France has been available on free-to-air television in the UK since the 1980s, initially on Channel 4 and later moving to ITV in 2001. The 2025 edition will mark the 25th and final year viewers can enjoy ITV’s coverage, which has featured commentary from David Millar and Ned Boulting, as well as analysis from Gary Imlach, Chris Boardman, Matt Rendell, and Daniel Friebe.
Boulting, reflecting on the upcoming end of ITV’s coverage, expressed mixed emotions: “It’s not an entire surprise. When you think about the economics of it, it makes sense. Still, personally, it’s a bit shaken up. This race has meant so much to me, and it feels like it’s slipping away.”
Eurosport, which began broadcasting the Tour de France in 1991, has long been regarded as the “home of cycling” for its extensive coverage of the sport year-round.
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