The end of Tour de France on ITV is nigh

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Comments

  • I subscribe to WBD.

    I think this is sad.

  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438

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

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

  • 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
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166

    What's WBD when it's at home?

  • Warner Bros Discovery. The parent company that owns Eurosport

  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,613

    I subscribe to WBD and this absolutely blows.

    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438

    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
    wakemalcolm Posts: 913

    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?

    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106

    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.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    edited 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.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • 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

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253

    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.

    Twitter: @RichN95
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,601

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

    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,344

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

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • oxoman
    oxoman Posts: 439

    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.

    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166

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

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    Good luck with that.

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

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    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.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,344

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

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • At least it was FTA during 2012; documenting our first win, and the slew of titles that followed.

    JiffyGate or not.

    You're the light wiping out my batteries; You're the cream in my airport coffee's.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166

    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
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    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.

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,344

    Not entirely sure what this says about the amount of attention required for either work or cycling. 😉

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 913

    I presumed you'd have this place on the other screen.

    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    The great thing about cycling, proper background music for most of the time.