Warner Brothers Discovery [WBD] is poised to become the exclusive British broadcaster for the Tour de France starting from 2026, marking a significant shift as live free-to-air coverage of the race in the UK is expected to cease. Currently, WBD holds partial rights to broadcast both the men’s and women’s events, sharing coverage on its Eurosport channel with ITV4. However, they have now secured a lucrative exclusivity deal with the race’s organizers.
This agreement means that Le Tour will not be shown live on British terrestrial television for the first time since the 1980s. ITV will continue to broadcast the 2025 race live, marking the 25th consecutive and final year they will hold these rights, having first acquired them from Channel 4 in 2001. The WBD deal extends from 2026 to 2030.
WBD, which also owns TNT Sports, HBO, CNN, and others, continues to make substantial investments in sports broadcasting. Trojan Paillot, head of sports rights acquisitions at WBD, expressed confidence in the new broadcast deal, stating it underscores the company’s long-term dedication to cycling. He noted, “For many years, we have been entrusted with the role of safeguarding cycling and have diligently worked to enhance the opportunities for fans to engage with their favorite sport.”
WBD’s commitment to cycling has led to significant investments in the most extensive live rights portfolio, encompassing every men’s and women’s Grand Tour race. Paillot added, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) and EBU (European Broadcasting Union) into a fifth decade of covering the world’s premier races, including the Tour de France.” ITV declined to comment when approached by the Guardian on Friday.
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