Channel 5 has signed a multi-year deal with TNT Sports to broadcast free-to-air highlights of cycling's Grand Tours in the UK, the broadcaster confirmed on Wednesday. The agreement also gives Channel 5 live coverage of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs, both of which take place in Britain.
The coverage on 5 begins on July 4th for the Tour de France Grand Départ that begins with a team time trial in Barcelona. The highlights show will be airing each night at 7pm with experienced journalist and broadcaster Rebecca Charlton as the main presenter.
The deal fills the gap left by ITV leaving the cycling broadcasting world when the pricing for rights of the Tour de France became too great for the British TV channel to compete. The Tour de France was first shown on free-to-air TV back in 1985 on Channel 4 with ITV taking over in 2001. This is the first year that Warner Bros. Discovery has exclusive UK rights with a subscription to TNT Sports on TV or on HBO Max at £30.99 a month required to watch live racing.
In this new agreement that stretches to the Giro d'Italia in 2029, Channel 5 will show daily highlights of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Giro with full live coverage of the British stages of the men's and women's Tour de France in 2027. Exclusive rights and complete live coverage remains with TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK.
"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," Reemah Sakaan, President of 5, said. "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 España and the Giro d'Italia for the next three years."
What the deal means for 2027
This agreement matters most in 2027 with the British stages of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes being shown live on Channel 5 as well as on TNT Sports. It is likely to have the commentary team from TNT Sports and will be the same coverage for those six days.
The men's race kicks off in Edinburgh on July 2nd with the opening stage crossing the border into England and across the country to Carlisle, followed by a trip through the beautiful Lake District and Trough of Bowland with a stage from Keswick to Liverpool. After that it is to Wales with a day from Welshpool to Cardiff bringing the men's UK trip to an end. The women's race starts in Leeds on July 30th before heading to Manchester where stage 2 then starts before a race over some of the most brutal climbs the Peak District has to offer and a finish in Sheffield. After that it is to the capital and a TTT around London before heading to France. Daily highlights will also be available for the Tour de France Femmes from 2027 on Channel 5.
British Cycling has described the twin Grand Départs as "the largest free sporting spectacle in British history," with 7,000 volunteers being recruited for the event.
Scott Young, EVP of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said the partnership was designed to widen cycling's reach. "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," he said. "It's important that those stories are shared with the widest possible audience."
The move has followed a period where UK cycling fans expressed frustration after losing free-to-air cycling. A petition calling for the Tour de France to be classed as a 'Category A event' under UK broadcasting rules was put together to try and get the issue debated in parliament. As we previously reported on Velora, there had been ideas put together to maybe create a Test Match Special style coverage with Katy Madgwick attempting to put a plan together. Lack of sponsorship meant that it wasn't a goer and now, with this new deal, it leaves it a bit dead in the water.
TNT Sports retains exclusive live coverage of the full UCI WorldTour calendar, with Warner Bros. Discovery's agreement with the European Broadcasting Union and ASO running through 2030. Channel 5 adds a nightly highlights programme that puts Grand Tour racing back on a channel available in every UK home with a television.
This is now the first time that Channel 5 have done deals with streaming platforms like this. They teamed up with DAZN to show select live matches of the FIFA Club World Cup, and Channel 5 broadcast various other events such as the NFL Super Bowl, England's T20 cricket internationals and the British Open snooker. This deal with TNT Sports also sees Channel 5 show highlights coverage of select events at the upcoming stripped back Commonwealth Games taking place in Glasgow after the BBC lost the rights to show the games to TNT Sports earlier in the year.
Charlton welcomed the return to terrestrial television. "It's fantastic news that the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España will return to terrestrial television with highlights on 5 this summer," she said. "It's an absolute dream to have the opportunity to bring the racing to life for all of the cycling fans out there as well as guiding some new viewers along for the ride."
The 2026 Tour de France runs from July 4 to 26. Every stage will be live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with Channel 5's highlights airing each evening at 7pm.
Cover image credit: A.S.O / Jonathan Biche
