WBD Sports to cover 1,000+ cycling races
March 14, 2024
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has unveiled its international broadcast, streaming and content offer for cycling fans as the new season gathers pace.
WBD will produce coverage of more than 1,000 races this season covering 300 days of live action, offering fans more cycling than any other broadcaster. This includes every men’s and women’s UCI World Tour race and Grand Tour stage, as well as every UCI Mountain Bike World Series event and the best Track, Cyclocross and BMX events as well as being the only place in Europe to watch all of the Olympics Games Paris 2024.
WBD will cover the races across its streaming platforms discovery+ and Max (USA), plus linear television coverage with 4,000 live hours in 19 languages on Eurosport, as well 500 locally produced shows throughout the season.
In 2024 it will also harness its free digital channels, including local language Eurosport websites, to connect fans with news and storytelling throughout the season alongside free highlights and additional content. WBD has also launched new Eurosport Cycling YouTube and Instagram channels dedicated to bringing highlights to fans around the world.
Scott Young, GSVP, Content, Production and Business Operations at WBD Sports Europe, said: “We on the doorstep of a historic season of cycling where new names are striving to be etched into the record books with more action taking place than ever before. From the roads of Asia to the mountains of the Americas to the velodromes of Europe, our coverage of this engaging sport is truly global. Our commitment to the coverage, promotion and commentary of all cycling is only matched by that of the teams and athletes themselves. Few can reach our levels of production of the world’s biggest races while telling the stories of the greatest riders on the planet. By bringing to life more than 1,000 live broadcasts throughout the year, including every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer, through the eyes of the most recognisable experts, and harnessing the latest virtual studio innovations in tandem with immersive on-site coverage, we will get the heart of every race, every rider and every story. Additionally, with expansive coverage through our owned and operated platforms across Europe and USA together with our sublicense partners, we will make cycling accessible for the largest possible audience as the season continues to gather momentum.”
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION PARTNER
WBD will leverage its global rights portfolio to expand coverage to the widest possible audience through a series of sublicense partnerships.
This includes working as a distribution partner for Claro (Central and LATAM); Zhibo TV (China); SBS (Australia) in addition to 14 partnerships with European broadcasters to expand coverage of certain events to local audiences in 10 markets.
PRESENTATION TEAMS
WBD has recruited some of the most well-known cycling experts to present international on-site and studio coverage for fans around the world. This includes analysis and opinions of:
- Philippe Gilbert, UCI Road Race World Champion (road cycling)
- Alberto Contador, two-time Tour de France winner (road cycling)
- Robbie McEwen, winner of 24 Grand Tour stages (road cycling)
- Jens Voigt, winner of stages at all three Grand Tours (road cycling)
- Sean Kelly, La Vuelta a España winner (road cycling)
- Iris Slappendel, Dutch National Road Race Champion (road cycling)
- Adam Blythe, British National Road Race Champion (road and track cycling)
- Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic track gold medallist and 11-time World Champion (track cycling)
- Cedric Gracia, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup winner (mountain bike)
- Bart Brentjens, Olympic gold medallist and World Cross Country Champion (mountain bike)
- Orla Chennaoui, Dani Christmas, Kate Mason, Hayley Edmunds, WBD’s international studio show presenters and pundits
- Laura Meseguer, Matt Stephens, Anders Mielke, Louis-Pierre Frileux, Ric McLaughlin, Josh Carlson, Sander Kleikers, WBD’s on-site reporters at key races throughout the season
Expanding the storytelling beyond the live coverage, local virtual studio analysis show harnessing the latest production innovations will be televised around major road cycling events throughout the season including the Classics, Grand Tours and Tour de France Femmes. These include in the UK (The Breakaway), France (Les Rois de la Pédale), Spain (La Montonera), Italy (Tour 360) and Germany (Velo Club).
Key dates 2024
16 March: Milan-Sanremo (first of the road cycling Monuments)
6-7 April: Paris Roubaix (women’s and men’s)
12 April: UCI Mountain Bike World Series begins
21 April: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
31 March: Tour of Flanders
4-6 October: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series finale
29 April-4 May: La Vuelta Femenina
4-26 May: Giro d’Italia
29 June-21 July: Tour de France
7-14 July: Giro Donne
27 July-7 August: Olympic Games Paris 2024 cycling
12-18 August: Tour de France Femmes
17 August-8 September: La Vuelta a Espana
26 August-1 September: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
21-29 September: UCI Road World Championships
12 October: Il Lombardia
16-20 October: UCI Track World Championships
Dates TBC: UCI Track Champions League