Pro cycling across Europe is increasingly seeping into locked down subscription services, rather than free-to-air broadcast, as Belgium sees its free-to-air Giro coverage disappear in 2026.
VTM will not broadcast any stages of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, the Flemish channel confirmed to WielerFlits on 5 May, saying it chooses "not this year" to show the race. The decision ends a three-year stretch in which DPG Media sublicensed selected stages from Eurosport and HBO Max, giving Belgian viewers free-to-air access to parts of the Italian Grand Tour.
It follows a move by Dutch broadcaster NOS – traditionally a major champion of free-to-air cycling – to slash its live cycling offering from 75 to 45 race days in 2026, removing Vuelta a España, Paris–Nice, La Flèche Wallonne and Critérium du Dauphiné.
For British cycling fans, though, the change will seem minor compared to the generational change in Grand Tour coverage, as ITV's long-running free-to-air broadcast of the Tour de France in the UK ended last year – with live coverage moving exclusively behind Warner Bros. Discovery's paywall on Eurosport and Max. In both cases, WBD holds the underlying rights.
A shrinking free-to-air window
VTM's Giro coverage had already been contracting. In 2023, the channel aired the opening three stages, the queen stage and the final stage. In 2024, it expanded to the first four stages, the individual time trial and the final mountain stage. Last year it shrank to just the opening three stages. Each edition featured commentary from Michel Wuyts and Jan Bakelants.
Now that window has closed entirely. Belgian fans can still follow the full race on Eurosport and HBO Max, but casual viewers lose access.
WBD extended its exclusive Giro rights until at least 2029 in an announcement on 22 April, a deal covering the men's and women's Giro, Strade Bianche, Milano–Sanremo, Il Lombardia and several other Italian races. The company said its 2025 Giro was its biggest edition in streaming viewership, with video views up 44% year on year and social media engagement rising 84%.
Those numbers reflect the economics driving the shift. WBD's business model relies on subscribers paying for access. Sublicensing stages to free-to-air broadcasters works against that goal unless the sublicence fee justifies the audience it cannibalises. When the commercial case weakens on the buyer's side, the deal falls away.
No Belgian headliner, no deal
WielerFlits linked VTM's decision directly to the 2026 startlist. Recent editions gave the broadcaster stronger reasons to buy in. Remco Evenepoel targeted the general classification in 2023 and won the individual time trial. Tim Merlier sprinted to three stage victories in 2024. Wout van Aert was one of the race's major draws in 2025.
The best-placed Belgians at this year's Giro, Arnaud De Lie and Lennert Van Eetvelt, do not yet carry the same weight with casual viewers. WielerFlits said they had not reached the status of their predecessors, a gap that appears to have tipped the cost-benefit calculation against sublicensing.
Free-to-air cycling coverage in Belgium pulls its biggest audiences when a domestic rider has a realistic shot at pink or consistent stage wins. Without that hook, VTM's potential audience narrows to dedicated fans who already subscribe to Eurosport or HBO Max, making the sublicence fee harder to justify.
What viewers lose
The pattern across Europe is consistent. Rights holders consolidate coverage on subscription platforms. Sublicensing to free-to-air networks happens selectively, often tied to domestic star power or marquee events, and disappears when conditions change. The Tour de France in the UK was broadcast free-to-air for decades before moving behind the paywall. VTM's Giro experiment lasted just three years.
For WBD, the consolidated model is working by its own metrics. The company said it broadcasts more than 1,000 live races across over 300 days each year and described itself as the "Home of Cycling." WBD called its 2025 Giro the most-watched edition on its platforms - with 44% growth on streaming platforms.
For the sport's visibility, the trade-off is less clear. Subscription audiences are smaller than free-to-air audiences. Free-to-air broadcasts reach viewers who would not pay for a cycling subscription, providing a pathway for new fans to discover the sport.
The 2026 Giro d'Italia starts in Bulgaria on 8 May and finishes in Rome on 31 May. Belgian viewers wanting live coverage will need access to Eurosport or HBO Max.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
