No free TV Tour de France coverage from 2026

[MrsAvocet]

Grrr. I'm furious.
Eurosport/Discovery+ have bought the rights apparently. At this rate there's going to be no sport worth mentioning on free TV channels. Sport and the news is virtually all I watch on TV so soon it will just be the news.
We do have Eurosport so I will be able to watch but I actually like the ITV coverage and it was one of the few times that cycling got extensive coverage on television. But money talks of course and no doubt ITV were outbid.
I know there's nothing can be done about it but just wanted to share my annoyance!

There's a Facebook group that is discussing this and sharing details of alternatives too. It's such a shame as have enjoyed Eurosport for years, but as others have said £30 is just too much and I really dislike football, boxing and motor racing so really feel like I don't want to buy access to them. But love cycling and winter sports. Really rubbish, surely due to Brexit again as still available in Europe.

Anyway, link to FB group below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/9044536502250090/?ref=share

My DH is furious, he only watches cycling and £30.99 is a massive hike, he contacted them and got offered a half price deal for 7 months but that's still over double the price it was before. He's still thinking about it

For me it's not the money so much as the much much worse coverage. I loved the whole itv team and set up.

It's the money for me, it's too much when you only watch cycling

G'Day mates! I'm currently watching Strade Bianche as an honorary Aussie. 🤔😀

The only sports DH and I watched and followed were F1 (long gone) and FIS Skiing. The skiing has now gone with Eurosport 1&2 no longer showing it. Gutted. Certainly not paying another £30+ quid a month on top of the current VM package.

Ditto re SB yesterday and Day 1 of Paris-Nice today. I got a colleague to explain what I needed to do as I have no idea re VPNs.

In case anyone needs it I downloaded (and paid for) Norton 360 app, then found out that SBS in Australia was broadcasting in English. Connected to an Australian VPN, (so easy!) then got registered with SBS, and found the live feed. Lifesaver, and two fingers up to TNT…

If it helps anyone I was able to add TNT sports to my virgin package for £12 per month. We are saving the £7 that we had been paying for discovery so “only” an extra fiver for us. I’ve just watched Milan San Remo and that was so exciting that it’s been worth the extra already. Absolutely riveting. I’m not normally a viewer of the ITV coverage but I still think it’s an awful loss.

I’ve watched the whole thing. Anyone watching now? Paris looking amazing.

Yes, even in the rain Paris truly is spectacular! Really enjoyed the Tour this year and sad it won't be on ITV again. I will have to get a VPN and watch on French or Swiss TV.

I’m really going to miss the ITV team. Been watching since the early 2000’s. I’m in France so I’ll be able to watch the Tour but it won’t be the same without British commentary. So knowledgeable but also funny.

I feel bereft! No more Gary, Ned, David, Daniel and team. I have watched a few YouTube things they’ve done this year.

Boo. Hoo.

I've been watching it on RAI via VPN

Pay for a VPN with servers in Australia, sub to SBS, easy to do!

BUT this shouldn't be happening, the UK hosts the TDF in a few years time, yet no free to air...

Labour refused to even do something about this....

What about the coverage on S4C? That’s how we watch it.

I'm so upset about ITV losing their cycling coverage. They were as professional as ever this year, but I know they were gutted. Gary Imlach is THE best sports broadcaster in the UK - can't believe he won't be on my telly any more.

I've spent the afternoon watching what I imagine will be my last TdF. I've watched it for the last 25 years....Channel 4 and then ITV coverage. I'm so sad that is the end of such an amazing broadcasting team and I won't be paying for TNT Sports next year.

Its easy to get around, even though it wont be ITV.

ITV sports have a YouTube channel. Ned and David have been doing wrap ups after each stage. They had a slightly longer one last night looking back at 25 years covering the TdF.

Worth a watch in case anyone wasn’t aware.

I watch a lot of road race cycling and DH & I have a Discovery subscription. For the TdF we have been watching the ITV4 coverage which we much prefer. Gary, Ned, Matt & Daniel are good journalists as well as being knowledgeable about the sport. They have also never been afraid to tackle subjects such as "green washing" in cycling. Very different to the TNT commentators. I really like what David Millar and Peter Kennard add to the programme too. I'll really miss the cycling on ITV4.