TNT Sport and 5 have announced a further sporting partnership that will provide non-subscribers with free access to Tour de France coverage.
- Tour de France highlights and live coverage of UK-based Tour de France stages in 2027 on free-to-air TV
- Highlights of Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia to air on 5.
- Deal announced as part of competitive tender process, although both TNT Sports and 5 will soon be part of same company.
Cycling’s biggest races have a new free-to-air home in the UK on 5 through a new multi-year deal with TNT Sports to show highlights of each of the Grand Tours.
The deal includes The Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes and Vuelta a España between now and 2028 and the Giro d’Italia from 2027-2029.
Additionally, 5 will also be able to show live coverage of the UK-based Tour de France Grand Départs next year, allowing viewers to follow the action as the riders race from Edinburgh to Cardiff over three stages on 2-4 July 2027.
In the meantime, coverage on 5 begins this summer with highlights of the 2026 Tour de France’s Grand Départ from Barcelona on 4 July. Rebecca Charlton will present 5’s daily highlights at 7pm each race day.
How 5 secured the deal
The agreement follows a competitive tender process and will significantly expand access to cycling’s biggest races for viewers across the UK.
Until 2024, live cycling coverage in the UK and Ireland was carried by Eurosport. In February 2025, owner Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) folded Eurosport UK into TNT Sports. At the time, WBD said it intended to offer some free‑to‑air coverage on its own channels, and limited highlights later appeared on Quest.
However, during 2025 WBD announced plans to split into two separate companies. Under the proposed structure, its free‑to‑air channels (including Quest) would sit outside the business operating TNT Sports. As a result, TNT Sports would no longer have a natural in‑house free‑to‑air outlet. Subsequently, a decision was made to put those rights out to tender.
Earlier this year, WBD confirmed it had accepted a takeover offer from Paramount. If approved by regulators, both Channel 5 and TNT Sports will come under Paramount’s control. (TNT Sports remains partly owned by BT Group, though day‑to‑day operations are overseen by WBD.)
Channel 5 and WBD have already struck a deal to bring UK audiences free‑to‑air coverage of the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Glasgow this summer.
Corporate comment
Reemah Sakaan, President at 5, commented:
“The Grand Tours are the most prestigious cycling events in the world, watched and adored by millions, and we are delighted that 5 will be their new free-to-air home in the UK. Our daily highlights show for the Tour de France will be available to everyone at 7pm each evening this July and we’ll also have daily highlights through both the Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d’Italia for the next three years, plus next year we’ll have live coverage of the Tour de France’s historic return to the UK. The Tour de France kicks off an incredible summer of sport on 5, adding to the rapidly expanding range of premium sport we have for people to watch, including the best of the action from the Commonwealth Games this summer. This new deal with TNT Sports reflects our long-term commitment to bringing brilliant coverage of the world’s best sporting events to millions of viewers and providing access to premium audiences for advertisers.”
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Tour de France