TNT Sports, the UK broadcast rights holder for the Tour de France, has announced that cycling's biggest race will maintain its presence on free-to-air television in the country after signing a multi-year deal with 5.
The deal largely covers highlights packages, although the UK-based stages of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ in the UK will be shown live on 5.
Free-to-air broadcasting of the Tour came to an end with last year's race after TNT Sports' parent company Warner Bros Discovery secured the exclusive rights to the race. ITV, the long-term free-to-air broadcaster, has now stepped away from cycling.
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That meant that the Tour, along with much of the rest of the cycling calendar, would only be accessible to people paying a £30.99 per month subscription fee, up from the £6.99 price for GCN+ just two years ago.
On Wednesday, however, TNT Sports announced that some coverage would remain on free-to-air television between 2026 and 2028. Highlights of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España will be broadcast on Channel 5 during that period, with highlights of the Giro d'Italia to follow from next year.
The deal will also include live coverage of the UK Grand Départs of both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes in 2027.
"The Grand Tours are the most prestigious cycling events in the world, watched and adored by millions, and we are delighted that 5 will be their new free-to-air home in the UK," said the president of 5, Reemah Sakaan.
"Our daily highlights show for the Tour de France will be available to everyone at 7pm each evening this July and we'll also have daily highlights through both the Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d'Italia for the next three years, plus next year we'll have live coverage of the Tour de France's historic return to the UK.
"The Tour de France kicks off an incredible summer of sport on 5, adding to the rapidly expanding range of premium sport we have for people to watch, including the best of the action from the Commonwealth Games this summer.
"This new deal with TNT Sports reflects our long-term commitment to bringing brilliant coverage of the world's best sporting events to millions of viewers and providing access to premium audiences for advertisers."
'Expanding the reach of elite cycling across the UK'
In October 2024, TNT Sports signed a deal with Tour de France organisers ASO to become the exclusive broadcaster of the Tour de France until 2030. The broadcaster already held the air rights to the other Grand Tours as well as many other races throughout the season.
Now, for the next three years, at least a portion of the cycling calendar will remain accessible to fans around the country.
"This partnership with 5 represents a major step forward in expanding the reach of elite cycling across the UK," said EVP of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, Scott Young.
"As the Home of Cycling, we are committed to bringing fans closer to the biggest races in the world across both men's and women's cycling, and this agreement ensures even more viewers can experience the drama, emotion and storytelling that define Grand Tour racing.
"By combining a strong free-to-air highlights offering with our comprehensive live coverage, we are delivering unprecedented access to the sport across every platform. Cycling is one of the most compelling sports in the world, featuring extraordinary athletes and unforgettable moments, and it's important that those stories are shared with the widest possible audience.
"Expanding reach and engaging new audiences across our rights portfolio remains a key strategic priority, and partnerships such as this play an important role in achieving that ambition."
