Tao Geoghegan Hart has spoken out about the decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to integrate Eurosport into its TNT Sports network in the UK and Ireland and hike up the monthly cost to watch professional races from £6.99 to £30.99.
The 2020 Giro d'Italia winner and Lild-Trek rider was the first British rider to speak out via social media and was immediately praised for his stance, as anger grows in UK and Ireland that cycling has been bundled with other sports.
Eurosport’s channels and brand will remain unchanged in 50 other countries but in the UK and Ireland, cycling fans will have to pay significantly more and indirectly subsidise the huge costs TNT Sports pay to secure the rights to Premier League, European club football and the Olympics.
ITV is understood to have opted not to bid for Tour de France broadcast rights for the UK, so free-to-air live viewing of the cycling's biggest race will disappear in 2026.
“Let’s be clear, the sport going behind such a large paywall is a huge problem,” Geoghegan Hart said in a long post on Instagram.
“Professional sports are all competing for the same audience. Cycling is completely reliant on this audience, it is how teams justify themselves to sponsors spending millions a year. Only a few teams can realistically promise a sponsor to win the Tour, but all teams can demonstrate good ROI when capturing so many eyes, hearts & minds. It’s not only wins that can be of value. It’s the journey and the heartache too.
“I find it hard to believe many fans will be able to justify this increase in costs to follow our races and those of our female colleagues. This is a huge shame."
Warner Bros. Discovery, who own Eurosport and many other channels and brands, are looking to cut costs and streamline its business as it works to reduce its $40 Billion debts.
Warner Bros. Discovery closed down GCN+ just over a year ago, despite having invested heavily in the project. The move to TNT Sports will significantly reduce the viewing options for many English-speaking cycling fans from February 28. Many cycling fans are expected to use VPN or even illegal internet streams to see racing.
Some cycling content will be broadcast on free-to-air channels Quest and DMAX, including highlights shows of the Grand Tours, and a new hour-long programme called ‘The Ultimate Cycling Show’ but it will be far more expensive and far difficult for new fans of the sport to discover the beauty of professional cycling and watch live racing.
Tao Geoghegan Hart fell in love with cycling as a child in central London and was inspired by the creation of Team Sky in 2010. He is part of the new generation of cycling enthusiasts who were captured by the beauty of the sport and the success of British riders.
He has often highlighted the growing costs of equipment and racing, and fears many people will no longer watch cycling the sport due to the costs of a TNT Sport subscription.
"I find it hard to believe many fans will be able to justify this increase in costs to follow our races & those of our female colleagues. This is a huge shame," Geoghegan Hart wrote.
"Cycling provides such great entertainment and inspiration to so many. British fans are living a real high point of the sport. There are so many British professionals, with Tom Pidcock winning his first race for his new team a great example of that.
"For amateur riders, cycling has become a very expensive sport or passion. Now as a British fan, following the upper echelons of the sport has also suddenly and massively increased in cost. I think it is now very relevant to realise where this money is going and where it is not. And perhaps to question the monopoly held over the sports U.K. coverage."
Geoghegan Hart asked for other people's opinions which saw commenters congratulating him for speaking, and suggesting they would not pay the massively increased subscriptions.
