The ongoing demise of free-to-air cycling in the UK was discussed in a debate in Parliament on Wednesday morning, with Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty calling the loss of Eurosport and the upcoming loss of the Tour de France from free-to-air television “a metaphor for the crisis that has befallen professional cycling in the UK.”
Eurosport and Discovery+, which following the closure of GCN+, aired major races throughout the cycling calendar for £6.99 per month, were shut down at the end of February and folded into the Warner Bros. Discovery TNT Sports network. A monthly subscription to access the same races now costs £30.99 per month.
During the half-hour debate, Obese-Jecty noted that Eurosport has, through the years, often been the only place to watch cycling – whether it’s road, cyclocross, track, or mountain bike.
“Last Friday, Eurosport was consigned to the history books. Eurosport’s demise is a hammer blow for coverage of cycling in the UK,” he said.
“The Tour de France has been available free-to-air on British television for as long as I can remember. This summer, ITV will broadcast the race for the 25th successive and final time. That, short term, means a 400% price hike for paid coverage of professional cycling and the complete disappearance of live free-to-air coverage.”
Citing his own experience with getting into cycling via watching live coverage on television, Obese-Jecty noted that he had started racing cyclocross after watching Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert do battle in races such as the Superprestige series.
He argued that the loss of Eurosport and the upcoming disappearance of free-to-air Tour de France coverage will only harm the future of the sport in the UK, saying that the ease-of-access of live coverage inspires the next generation of stars.
“Cycling is so much more than just a sport,” he said. “It has changed lives, saved lives, given people purpose, given people freedom, and it’s one of our greatest sporting success stories. But like all things, its success depends upon the next generation being willing to pick up the torch. To do that, children need to be inspired, and parents need to be enthused.
“Cycling is not football, where you are never more than a stone’s throw from a pub to watch the game. We see mainstream sports all the time. Even just a glimpse on the news bulletin can be enough, but cycling rarely gets a look in.”
Obese-Jecty also noted that, given the moves made by TNT and ITV4, the best way for fans to watch a possible British Tour de France Grand Départ in 2027 would be by the side of the road rather than on television.
“I would ask the government to look at how it can inspire a new generation of Froomes and Cavendishs to take up the mantle? And what it is doing to restore a sporting jewel? One in which we have enjoyed such recent success to the masses lest its absence from our sport causes a sport to wither on the vine.
“What support can it give to the grassroots and what help can it give to the struggling professional scene? What guarantees can it offer that the Tour of Britain and the World Championships across all disciplines won’t disappear behind the TNT paywall as well?”
Minister for Sport Stephanie Peacock was among several MPs in attendance at the debate. She said “I’m sure the Honorable Member would agree it’s not for the government to intervene in such decisions” regarding the prices of streaming and television packages.
“On the point, the Honorable Member has made on the Tour de France being on free-to-air television,” she continued. “I recognise that many will have taken great pleasure for watching it in the last 25 years on ITV and it is a matter for the broadcaster with the Tour de France rights to determine whether any coverage will be available to free to air in the future.
“Any discussions wouldn’t be a matter for the government.”
