The end of Tour de France on ITV is nigh

r0bh · October 25

https://x.com/eurosport/status/1849734277795049548

stage_hunter · October 25

I subscribe to WBD.

I think this is sad.

r0bh · October 25

The replies to Orla's tweet about this are overwhelmingly negative

https://x.com/SportsOrla/status/1849733871526371360

r0bh · October 25

I would settle for WBD doing a deal with ITV to let them do a one hour highlights package every night, which is where the ITV production really excels IMHO

takethehighroad · October 25

Has there been any confirmation from an ITV point of view?

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some kind of highlights show. They've had it for at least 20 years, as Ned Boulting's first Tour was 2003.

kingstongraham · October 25

What's WBD when it's at home?

takethehighroad · October 25

Warner Bros Discovery. The parent company that owns Eurosport

kingstongraham · October 25

If ITV loses the TDF, where am I going to learn about dying donkeys and cremations?

gweeds · October 25

I subscribe to WBD and this absolutely blows.

r0bh · October 25

Might be more to this story as the EBU extended it's deal to 2030, and WBD sub-licenses from EBU. So maybe ITV had the option but passed on it?

https://www.ebu.ch/news/2024/10/ebu-a-s-o-reach-a-new-tour-de-france-agreement-until-2030

wakemalcolm · October 25

That's really sad. I know loads of people who watch it avidly as their only bike racing fix of the year.

It also changes my question about what does Gary Imlach do for the rest of the year to what does he do at all?

DeVlaeminck · October 25

Yes, although I would choose ES coverage over ITV 100% of the time it's always better for a sport to have some free to air coverage - although a cycling fan could hardly have relied on ITV something was better than nothing.

blazing_saddles · October 25

Sad, but it’s the way of the modern world.

Anyone who is passionate about watching multi-sports, needs to have 4 or 5 concurrent subscriptions, these days.

So, it’s essential to have deep pockets.

The worst thing about it for me is that it takes away the option to not listen to Kirby, when he’s on comms. Hope my mute button doesn’t wear out.

takethehighroad · October 25

Matt Rendell suggesting there'll be no highlights show either

As others have said, it doesn't affect me as I would pay for cycling coverage anyway, but it's sad for the once a year viewers, or people who might get hooked in because it's free to air

wakemalcolm · October 25

Picking out the positives, it means that The Cycling Podcast should have its main presenter available for its main event.

r0bh · October 25

https://x.com/daniellloyd1/status/1849802802966466621

RichN95. · October 25

No S4C either. My VPN is going to put to work, but this plus the Pogaggedon feels like I may re-engage with other sports.

gsk82 · October 25

Don't they show the eurosport "highlights" on Quest?

pblakeney · October 25

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21103264#Comment_21103264

That's what popped into my mind, I just couldn't remember the name.

oxoman · October 26

Certainly won't be paying any extra on my existing tv subscription to watch it, suspect when the revenue doesn't match expectations that WBD will relent and lower there prices to other networks. Time will tell.

kingstongraham · October 26

If they started lumping it in with the football at football prices, I don't know what I'd do.

blazing_saddles · October 26

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21103272#Comment_21103272

Good luck with that.

If they now have a monopoly, prices are only going to head in one direction and it’s not down.

blazing_saddles · October 26

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21103274#Comment_21103274

I can see this happening in the not too distant future. Especially if enough people let their subscriptions lapse after this half price merger deal runs out, or when prices rise.

If Eurosport doesn’t generate enough capital for the WBD pot, they will get swallowed up. Business wise, it’s an obvious move.

pblakeney · October 26

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21103274#Comment_21103274

I suspect that I'd stop watching cycling as I stopped watching football.

evil_breakfast · October 26

At least it was FTA during 2012; documenting our first win, and the slew of titles that followed.

JiffyGate or not.

kingstongraham · October 26

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21103276#Comment_21103276

Last time my TV/broadband came up for renewal they removed BT Sports (or whatever it's called now) but left Eurosport in. It's nice to have access to everything, but for casual once a month watching an hour of baseball plus maybe football twice a year and the middle of the night cricket that sky don't have I wasn't going to pay an extra £18 a month.

I do watch a lot of cycling though.

Pross · October 26

I’m surprised ASO don’t insist on free to air coverage (or at least free to air highlights) in all the countries. You’d think they’d want to open the coverage as wide as possible.

I don’t pay for any other sport packages but working from home full time I do watch a lot of cycling so will probably continue to pay for wherever cycling ends up as it is very easy to have it on one screen whilst working on the other.