WBD starts UCI Mountain Bike World Series coverage
May 10, 2023
By Nik Roseveare
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) will cover all six UCI Mountain Bike World Cups – unified under one calendar for the first time – starting with the Cross-country Short Track, Olympic and Marathon in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic (May 11th-14th) which will be available to watch on discovery+, GCN+, Eurosport and the Eurosport App.
In total, WBD will present 139 hours of live mountain biking coverage, highlights shows and pre and post-race analysis shows on its linear and digital platforms across Europe in 2023. GCN+, meanwhile, will also broadcast the series in North America, Latin America and the Oceania region.Scott Young, SVP Content and Production at WBD Sports, commented: “The new revolution in mountain biking is finally upon us and we can’t wait to showcase the adrenaline and skill of these athletes to fans, and those soon to become fans, of this supercharged sport. We’ve been teasing the raft of innovations we will unveil to elevate coverage of the World Series to even greater heights and can’t wait for the action to get underway. That is matched with our commitment to highlight the competitors and tell their story, on and off the track. By screening more live events than ever before, including all elite, under 23 and junior races, coupled with extensive race highlights across our channels and streaming platforms, it opens up the sport for even greater exposure and engagement between the fans and athletes and we’re confident we can combine this with our global scale to increase the profile of mountain biking and the stars of the MTB to a whole new audience.”
Ensuring fans are kept-up-to-date with the latest news and views, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel and social platforms will offer analysis and interviews with some of the key personalities involved in the sport. Meanwhile, Global Mountain Bike Network’s dedicated race-focussed YouTube channel, GMBN Racing, will offer fans a deeper experience of the format with a dedicated news show, highlights packages, race previews, bike checks and exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the season.In June 2022, WBD signed an eight-year agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale, tasked with elevating mountain biking to the next level and reach a global audience.
Key mountain biking dates in 2023:
- 11-14 May: Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Marathon)
- 2-4 June: Finale Outdoor Region, Italy (Cross-country Marathon, Enduro, E-Enduro)
- 8-11 June: Lenzerheide, Switzerland (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill)
- 15-18 June: Leogang SalzburgerLand, Austria (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill, Enduro )
- 24 June – 25 June: Val di Vassa Trentino, Italy (Enduro, E-Enduro)
- 30 June – 2 July: Val di Sole Trentino, Italy (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill)
- 24 – 27 August: Pal Arinsal, Andorra (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill)
- 1-3 September: Loudenvielle, France (Downhill, Enduro, E-Enduro)
- 7-17 September: Haute Savoie, France (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Marathon,Downhill, Enduro, E-Enduro)
- 27 September – 1 October: Snowshow, USA (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Marathon, Downhill)
- 5-8 October: Mont-St-Anne, Canada (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill)