Make the Tour de France a Category A event to ensure it remains free-to-air in the UK.
The Tour de France is the one of the world’s most-watched annual sporting event, inspiring some to take up cycling. We are concerned British cycling is already in decline, with the UK’s last UCI Continental team, Saint Piran, recently closing. We believe losing free coverage of this huge sporting event will worsen this, reducing visibility and participation in the UK. Cycling boosts health and sustainability—without free access, we think the next generation of British riders may never get inspired.
Government response
The current list of events strikes the right balance between encouraging access to a number of sporting events and maximising broadcasting income. There are no plans to review the list at this time.