Tour De France Highlights Could Remain On Free-TV In The UK; Warner Bros. Discovery Was The Only Bidder For UK Rights To Cycling’s Premier Event
deadline.comFree TV coverage of the Tour de France could continue in the UK after Warner Bros. Discovery landed the exclusive UK rights to the event – having been the only bidder for them.
WBD, which owns Eurosport, is looking at its options including running a highlights package on one of its free TV channels. ITV, meanwhile, is understood to have not made a play for the UK rights with its current deal ending after the 2025 edition of the historic race.
There has been a noisy fallout since the news late last week that Warner Bros. Discovery had snagged exclusive UK rights. The European Broadcasting Union brokers the Tour rights deals on behalf rights owner ASO and cut the WBD deal.
Deadline understands that no free-to-air broadcaster went in for the rights. Cycling has moved into the mainstream in the UK, boosted by a large haul of medals at several Olympic Games and three British Tour de France winners: Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas.
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