Channel 5 Secures Landmark Deal for Free-to-Air Tour de France Highlights After ITV Lost Rights

Channel 5 has secured a multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT Sports to broadcast free-to-air highlights of the Tour de France and other major cycling events in the UK, beginning with daily coverage in July 2026. The agreement marks a significant shift in UK cycling broadcasting after Warner Bros. Discovery acquired exclusive rights to the races in 2024, moving them behind a paywall on TNT Sports. Under the three-year partnership, Channel 5 will air daily highlights of the men's and women's editions of the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, and the Giro d'Italia at 7pm each evening, fronted by sports presenter Rebecca Charlton. The 2026 Tour de France will be the first edition in three decades without live free-to-air coverage on British television following the loss of ITV's longstanding rights.

Most notably, the deal includes live free-to-air coverage of the opening stages of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ, which will be held across England, Scotland, and Wales—marking the race's historic return to British soil after 30 years. Channel 5 will broadcast the opening three stages of both the men's and women's races live, alongside daily highlights of both editions. The agreement represents a competitive tender outcome that balances TNT Sports' comprehensive paid coverage with expanded public access to the sport.

The rights timeline specifies that Channel 5 will broadcast free-to-air highlights of the Tour de France and Vuelta a España from 2026 to 2028, and the Giro d'Italia from 2027 to 2029. Scott Young, executive vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Sport, stated that the partnership "represents a major step forward in expanding the reach of elite cycling across the UK" and ensures viewers can "experience the drama, emotion and storytelling that define grand tour racing." Reemah Sakaan, Channel 5's president, described the deal as landmark news, emphasising that the channel is "delighted" to become the new free-to-air home of cycling in the UK. The announcement offers consolation to British cycling enthusiasts who were disappointed when the previous ITV coverage ended, while TNT Sports maintains its comprehensive live coverage platform for paying subscribers.