The organisers of the UK’s Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grands Départs in 2027 have said securing free-to-air television coverage of the stages is “important” and negotiations are “a work in progress”.
The UK will host six stages of the Tour next year, split equally across the men’s and women’s events, it was announced on Thursday.
Both races currently sit behind a paywall in the UK, after TNT Sports owner Warner Bros. Discovery signed an exclusive broadcasting deal last year that ended 40 years of free-to-air coverage. A TNT Sports subscription costs £30.99 a month.
Speaking during a press conference in Leeds on Thursday, the managing director of the UK Grand Départ, Paul Bush, said he and his fellow organisers “have a commitment to work with Christian [Prudhomme, Tour de France race director] and the ASO team to look at how we can bring the six stages in the UK to free-to-air coverage, and that is currently ongoing.”
Cycling Weekly then questioned Bush further on the matter. “It’s still a work in progress,” he said. “I would hope that in the next six months we can reach some sort of conclusion on that. I think it’s important, Christian knows it’s important, but obviously contractual situations with current rights holders need to be negotiated carefully and sympathetically.
“As John [Dutton, British Cycling CEO] said, this is a moment for the nation. It’s bigger than a sporting event, and I think that deserves to have that platform.”
Race director Prudhomme previously voiced his optimism about free-to-air coverage of the two UK Grands Départs when he first announced them last March.
“There will be discussions, of course,” Prudhomme said last year. “But I do hope – and I do believe – that the stages will be live and free-to-air in 2027 in the UK. There will be discussions and we’re optimistic.”
The men’s Tour will start in Edinburgh in 2027, with an opening day finish in Carlisle on 2 July. Stage two will then begin in Keswick in the Lake District, finishing in Liverpool, before an all-Welsh third stage between Welshpool and Cardiff.
The women’s race will open on 30 July in Leeds. Stage one will cross the Pennines to Manchester, where stage three will also start, before finishing in Sheffield. The third stage, still to be revealed, will start and finish in London.
