The Tour de France, the biggest profile event on the sport of cycling, has been a free-to-air part of British TV schedules for generations. ITV is the primary broadcaster since 2001, transporting the drama of the race into the living room of millions across the UK.

But looming on the horizon is a massive change: from 2026, ITV will no longer hold the broadcast rights to the Tour de France, as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Eurosport have acquired exclusive rights to the race.

The decision is the end of an era for free-to-air sports coverage in the UK. ITV’s association with the Tour de France began way back in 2001, following Channel 4’s coverage of the event prior to that. Over the years, ITV’s coverage of the event has been the epitome of the British summer, with in-depth reporting that appealed to serious cycling enthusiasts as well as impromptu viewers. Its commitment to the race played a key role in maintaining cycling as the top priority of the nation, especially during the early 2010s when British riders like Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome produced amazing success stories in the Tour.

The new 2026-2030 broadcasting rights agreement between the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), organizers of the Tour de France, and WBD extends to include not only the Tour, but other big cycling events such as La Vuelta and the Classics. While Eurosport, part of the WBD stable, has been a regular broadcaster of cycle events, the exclusive deal represents a shift in how British viewers will get to view the race. Live Tour de France coverage will not be available on British free-to-air TV for the first time since the 1980s.

The impact of this change is multifaceted. On the positive side, Eurosport’s specialist sports channels and websites are able to deliver more in-depth and specialist coverage, perhaps at the advantage of dedicated fans. On the negative side, putting the Tour behind a paywall could limit it for casual viewers and those who do not possess subscription services. This change is causing concerns regarding the future of free-to-air sports broadcasting in the UK and how it will affect the popularity of the sport among the general public.

The ITV departure from Tour de France coverage signals the end of an era too for its beloved presenting team. Figures like Gary Imlach, Ned Boulting, and David Millar are common household names these days, entertaining enthusiasts with their top-notch comments and analysis across the years. Their departure from the annual broadcast will be longed for by numerous who’ve come to relate their voices to the excitement and suspense of the Tour.

Lastly, the withdrawal of the Tour de France from ITV is a milestone in the history of UK sport broadcasting. While passionate fans may continue to follow the event on the channels of Eurosport, making the switch to non-free-to-air will potentially affect the scale and popularity of the event among the general population of Britain. With the ongoing transformation of the media landscape, this development hints at the ongoing controversy regarding accessibility and the future of UK sports broadcasting.

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