Abstract
TV coverage of road cycling started shortly after World War II with the first live broadcast of the conclusion of the Tour de France at the Parc des Princes in Paris in 1948. During the 1950s, the popularity of Tour de France news programmes grew, resulting in the first live coverage from within the race in 1958 on the legendary Col d’Aubisque. French television began to pay for the right to cover the race in 1956. In the following decades, television coverage of cycling races expanded in duration and scope. In this chapter, we analyse TV broadcasting of road cycling races. We discuss the reasons behind the successful marriage of cycling and television and explain in detail how TV audiences should be understood. We also present relevant data on TV audiences for major cycling races and summarize the findings of four empirical studies. A discussion of the rapid growth in TV coverage of women’s road cycling follows, and we next offer some insights on the economics of TV broadcasting rights. We then conclude with a few thoughts on the future of televised cycling.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Archisport. (2021). IOC and UCI do not want a World Cup every 2 years: ‘It undermines other sports’. Retrieved from https://www.archysport.com/2021/10/ioc-and-uci-do-not-want-a-world-cup-every-2-years-it-undermines-other-sports-football/
ASO. (2016). Médias. Retrieved from http://www.aso.fr/fr/medias.html
Bourdon, J., & Méadel, C. (2014). Television audiences across the world (Deconstructing the ratings machine). Palgrave Macmillan.
Cyclingnews. (2013a). Tour de France mountains to begin at La Mauselaine. Retrieved from http://www.cyclingnews.com
Cyclingnews. (2013b). Length of the Vuelta up for discussion. Retrieved from http://www.cyclingnews.com
Cyclingnews. (2020). Hammer Series scrapped amid Velon’s bitter dispute with UCI. Retrieved from http://www.cyclingnews.com
De Morgen. (2015). Het wielrennen wordt veel te zwaar. En te saai. January 24, 2015.
EBU. (2020). Eurovision sport extends Tour de France with ASO and La Vuelta with Unipublic until 2025. Retrieved from https://www.ebu.ch/news/2020/02/eurovision-sport-extends-tour-de-france-with-aso-and-vuelta-a-espana-with-unipublic-until-2025
Elles font du vélo. (2016). Réflexion sur les courses internationales de cyclisme féminin sur route. Retrieved from https://ellesfontduvelo.com/2016/10/les-courses-internationales-de-cyclisme-feminin
Forrest, D., Simmons, R., & Buraimo, B. (2005). Outcome uncertainty and the couch potato audience. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 52, 641–661.
Frandsen, K. (2017). Tour de France: Mediatization of sport and place. In L. Wenner & A. Billings (Eds.), Sport, media and mega-events. Routledge.
Gayant, J. (2016). Quelle audience pour le Tour de France? Le Monde, October 20, 2016.
Gratton, C., & Solberg, H. (2007). The economics of sports broadcasting. Routledge.
Innsbruck-Tirol Roald World Championships Organizing Committee. (2018). Innsbruck-Tirol 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.innsbruck-tirol2018.com/de/innsbruck-tirol-2018/
Inside World Football. (2020). Belgian pro league secures new €103m TV deal but clubs battle over the cash. Retrieved from: http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/02/13/belgian-pro-league-secures-new-e103m-tv-deal-clubs-battle-cash/
Kantar Media. (2014). 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Television Audience report. Retrieved from: http://www.kantarmedia.co.uk/businesses/kantarsport
Lagae, W. (2021). Koerszaken. Bibliodroom.
Le Figaro. (2021). 42,4 millions de téléspectateurs, 40% de part d’audience… les chiffres (impressionnants) du dernier Tour de France. Retrieved from https://www.lefigaro.fr/sports/cyclisme/tour-de-france
Le Guen, J. M. (1999). Rapport fait au nom de la commission des finances, de l’économie générale et du plan sur le project de loi de finances pour 2000 (n°1805). Retrieved from http://argentdusport.free.fr/Documents/Cyclisme/TdfLeGuen19991117.pdf
Long, J. G. (2012). Tour de France: A taxpayer bargain among mega sporting events? In W. Maennig & A. Zimbalist (Eds.), International handbook on the economics of mega sporting events. Edward Elgar Publishing.
McKay, F. (2011). Calculating the Tour’s TV revenues. Retrieved from www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/tv-rights
Nielsen. (2021). The inclusivity of the Olympic Games is key to widespread fan appeal. Nielsen Fan Insights, July 14, 2021. Retrieved from: https://nielsensports.com/insights/
Nielsen Sports Netherlands. (2016). Start Giro d’Italia (Media Monitoring & Evaluatie). Confidential report.
OA Sport. (2019). Giro d’Italia 2019, un volume d’affari da 40 milioni di euro! La Corsa Rosa coinvolge un Paese intero: tutte le cifre. Retrieved from https://www.oasport.it/2019/05/giro-ditalia-2019-un-volume-daffari-da-40-milioni-di-euro-la-corsa-rosa-coinvolge-un-paese-intero-tutte-le-cifre
Palco23. (2021). Rtve y Eurosport mantendrán las retransmisiones de La Vuelta y el Tour de Francia hasta 2025. Retrieved from https://www.palco23.com/media/rtve-y-eurosport-mantendran-las-retransmisiones-de-la-vuelta-y-el-tour-de-francia-hasta-2025
Pure Médias. (2021). Audiences: Quel bilan pour le Tour de France 2021? Retrieved from https://www.ozap.com/actu/audiences-quel-bilan-pour-le-tour-de-france-2021/606627
Rapha. (2019). Rapha roadmap. Rapha Racing Ltd..
RCS Sport. (2013). Giro profile 2013 (press release). RCS Media Group.
Repucom. (2013). Repucom TV-analysis (2013 UCI World Tour – Quarter 1–4). Repucom.
Rodriguez, C., Peréz, L., Puente, V., & Rodriguez, P. (2015). The determinants of television audience for professional cycling: The case of Spain. Journal of Sports Economics, 16, 26–58.
Rodriguez-Gutierrez, C., & Fernandez-Blanco, V. (2016). Continuous TV demand in road cycling: The 2015 Vuelta a España. European Sport Management Quarterly, 17, 349–369.
ŠKODA. (2019). ŠKODA extends sponsorship deal with Tour de France organizer A.S.O. until 2023. Retrieved from https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/press-releases/skoda-extends-sponsorship-deal-with-tour-de-france-organiser-a-s-o-until-2023/
Spiegel International. (2008). German television drops coverage of Tour de France. Retrieved from https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/dopers-ditched-german-television-drops-coverage-of-tour-de-france-a-584645.html
SportBusiness Consulting. (2021). Global media report 2021 (executive summary). Retrieved from https://www.sportbusiness.com/global-media-report-2021/
SportBusiness International. (2017). Free to air: BBC plots sports strategy for a changing world. Retrieved from https://www.sportbusiness.com/sportbusiness-international/free-air-bbc-plots-sports-strategy-changing-world/
Sportcal. (2013). EBU renews Tour de France rights deal until 2019 as ARD and ZDF opt out again. Retrieved from https://www.sportcal.com/News/FeaturedNews/23788
Sportspromedia. (2021a). Discovery agrees global Giro d’Italia rights deal. Retrieved from https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/giro-ditalia-tv-rights-discovery-eurosport-gcn-global-rai/
Sportspromedia. (2021b). La Vuelta renews ‘€2.5m a year’ RTVE domestic rights deal. Retrieved from https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/la-vuelta-espana-rtve-tv-rights-spain/
The Guardian. (2001). ITV pays £5m for Tour de France. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/jul/30/itv.broadcasting
The Guardian. (2014). Tour de France is a TV marathon but late drama makes it worthwhile. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/jul/05/tour-de-france-tv-marathon-late-drama
Thompson, C. (2006). The Tour de France: A cultural history. University of California Press.
Tour de Yorkshire. (2014). Some key facts and figures on the world’s largest annual sporting event. Retrieved from http://letour.yorkshire.com/news/tour-de-france-the-facts
Toutelatélé. (2014). Tour de France 2014: le Coût réel pour France Télévisions. Retrieved from http://www.toutelatele.com/tour-de-france-2014-le-cout-reel-pour-france-televisions-62193
Trouw. (2021). Hoe de Tour in beeld wordt gebracht: ‘De renners zijn de acteurs in een film over Frankrijk’. Retrieved from https://www.trouw.nl/sport
Turgis, D. (2008). Télévision et cyclisme. Retrieved from http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.eu/dossiers/dos_cyclismag_tv_velo_1.php
UCI. (2012). 2012 TV production guide. Retrieved from UCI http://www.uci.ch
UCI. (2014a). 2013 UCI annual report. Retrieved from UCI http://www.uci.ch
UCI. (2014b). Brian Cookson addresses SportAccord Convention: Regainint trust & embracing innovation key to cycling’s global growth (UCI press release 9 April 2014). Retrieved from http://www.uci.ch
UCI. (2018). Press release: EBU and the UCI hail impressive European audience figures for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships. Retrieved from http://www.uci.org/inside-uci/press-releases/ebu-and-the-uci-hail-impressive-european-audience-figures-for-the-2018-uci-road-world-championships
Van Reeth, D. (2013). TV Demand for the Tour de France: The importance of stage characteristics versus outcome uncertainty, patriotism and doping. International Journal of Sport Finance, 8, 39–60.
Van Reeth, D. (2019). Forecasting Tour de France TV audiences: A multi-country analysis. International Journal of Forecasting, 35, 810–821.
Velonews. (2019). Inside NBC’s Tour de France television broadcast. Retrieved from https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/inside-nbcs-tour-de-france-television-broadcast
Viollet, S. (2007). Le Tour de France cycliste 1903–2005. l’Harmatan.
Voxwomen. (2018). The realities of broadcasting. Voxwomen Cycling Podcast 77.
Wille, F. (2003). The Tour de France as an agent of change in media production. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 20, 128–146.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Van Reeth, D. (2022). TV Broadcasting of Road Cycling Races. In: Van Reeth, D. (eds) The Economics of Professional Road Cycling. Sports Economics, Management and Policy, vol 19. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11258-4_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11258-4_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-11257-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-11258-4
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)