ne thing everyone knows about me is that I love cycling. I'm on my bike most days, and the Grand Tours are a sacred event. The thrill of the race, the beauty of the course, the sheer grit of the riders – it's pure theatre. The Tour de France, a free-to-air treasure in the UK since the 80s, has always been accessible to everyone. But the curtain is about to fall.
Last year brought the disappointing news that ITV4 had lost its cycling broadcast rights. And now, just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I've learned that Eurosport, my preferred cycling channel, is shutting down at the end of this month! Eurosport, along with its streaming companion Discovery+, was my go-to for pro cycling, offering a relatively affordable way to watch as much as I could handle. Now, Warner Discovery, Eurosport's owner, has decided to consolidate all its sports content under the TNT Sports banner... behind a hefty paywall. At £31 a month, it's a price many cycling fans simply can't afford, me included.
So, what are my options now? It seems Quest will be airing highlights, which is something, but it's a far cry from the hours of live coverage I've enjoyed. While I'm a law-abiding citizen, I can't help but worry that this drastic reduction in access will push many cycling fans towards illegal streaming.
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