Comcast became majority owner of company on Tuesday
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Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome on the 2018 Tour de France podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Sport)
James Murdoch and Brailsford traveled as guests with Bernard Hinault(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Team Sky manager Dave Brailsford speaks to the press ahead of the Tour de France(Image credit: Getty Images)
Team Sky manager Dave Brailsford out for a ride next to Christopher Froome on the second rest day at the Tour de France(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) secures the yellow jersey at the Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Sky's Egan Bernal points to his sponsor's logo after winning stage 2 of the 2018 Tour of California(Image credit: Getty Images)
Despite the takeover of Sky plc by American telecommunications company Comcast this week, the Team Sky cycling organisation's future is thought to be safe.
Sky plc chairman James Murdoch – son of News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch – has always been a strong supporter of the cycling team, but resigned from the Sky plc board on Tuesday on the back of the successful £29.7 billion takeover deal.
In an article published on telegraph.co.uk on Tuesday, the Telegraph said that its understanding is that Team Sky and their staff and riders are safe, despite Comcast becoming the majority owner of the team's owning company, and that insiders say Team Sky has "always been more Jeremy Darroch's project than Murdoch's", with Darroch continuing in his role as Sky plc's chief executive.
Sky plc ended its partnership with British Cycling at the end of the 2016 season – and was replaced at the federation by HSBC UK – but Sky's backing of the WorldTour team has continued.
The newspaper suggests that Team Sky have a 'secure funding cycle' until 2024, which tallies with the fact that the cycling team agreed a five-year lease with the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance this year, while it also signed a five-year contract extension with rising cycling star Egan Bernal on October 5, which will keep the Colombian climber with the team until the end of 2023.
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