The future of free-to-air Tour de France coverage in the UK is in doubt after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) signed an exclusivity deal with the race's organisers.
The French Grand Tour is currently shown on ITV4 and Eurosport/Discovery+ in the UK, but the deal announced on Friday appears to mean it will now solely be on the latter from 2026, which is a paid-for channel.
The news comes as WBD signed an extension of its rights deal across Europe, with an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and UNIPUBLIC properties from 2026, meaning continued coverage on Eurosport of many of ASO's races, from the Tour to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, via Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
The Tour de France has been on free-to-air TV in the UK since the 1980s, when it was originally shown on Channel 4; for two decades, it has been shown on ITV, first on ITV2 and latterly on ITV4. 2025 will be the 25th Tour on ITV, after it started showing it in 2001.
It was produced by VSquared TV until 2024, with coverage helmed by Gary Imlach alongside Chris Boardman and Pete Kennaugh, with commentary from Ned Boulting and David Millar, and insight from Matt Rendell and Daniel Friebe.
The coverage is loved by fans, not just because it's available on Freeview, but because of its tone, insight, and the famous theme tune. ITV4 has shown stages in full, as well as a nightly highlights package; it is not known how far the new "exclusivity" deal runs.
Eurosport started showing the Tour de France in 1991, and has become the "Home of Cycling", showing racing throughout the season. Viewers can watch ad-free on Discovery+ in the UK, WBD's subscription service.
"For many years, we have been trusted to act as the custodian for cycling and have worked tirelessly to maximise the opportunities fans have to engage with their favourite sport," Trojan Paillot, head of Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndication at WBD Sports Europe, said.
"Our commitment to cycling has seen us invest in the most comprehensive live rights portfolio, which includes every men’s and women’s Grand Tour race, and we’re delighted to now extend our relationship with our partners at ASO and EBU to take us into a fifth decade of covering the world’s greatest races including the Tour de France."
It is the latest upheaval for viewers in the UK, after GCN+ closed at the end of last season.
ITV declined to comment on Friday afternoon.
