The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) are pleased to announce they have signed an agreement for the media rights to the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Tour de France.
Besides the Tour de France, this new agreement encompasses Paris-Roubaix, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Tours, and Eschborn-Frankfurt.
A wide audience in almost 60 countries will enjoy exceptional coverage of the races thanks to free-to-air TV channels in Belgium (RTBF, VRT), the Netherlands (NOS), Switzerland (SRF, RTS, TSI), the UK and Ireland (ITV), Spain (TVE), Italy (RAI), Denmark (TV2), Norway (TV2), Luxembourg (RTL), Portugal (RTP), Slovakia (RTVS), Slovenia (RTVSLO) and, on the Eurosport channels, throughout Europe.
The international signal will be produced by France Télévisions, apart from Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, whose signal will be provided by RTBF.
The channels’ widespread coverage will be supplemented by an innovative second screen approach, through digital, internet and mobile platforms, whose rich content will bring fans even closer to the action.
The advanced technology used during live coverage of events (on-bike cameras, 3D route modelling showing the position of the various groups, and the new graphics launched this year for the Criterium du Dauphiné) will enable cycling audiences to fully enjoy following the cyclists’ exploits through the amazing scenery of these outstanding races.
From this year, Tour de France viewers throughout Europe will enjoy 105 hours of coverage (compared to 80 last year) because, for the first time in the history of this event, France Télévisions and ASO will produce an international signal for all Grande Boucle stages in their entirety.
“It is once again a great pleasure to announce four more years of collaboration with the EBU. The passionate enthusiasm for cycling, and our events in particular, among audiences throughout Europe is the fruit of constant hard work in partnership with EBU Member channels and Eurosport. The constant technical developments this partnership enables us to bring to European viewers enhance broadcasts with new features and make them forward-looking,” said ASO Director-General Yann Le Moenner.
“The EBU is extremely proud to extend its partnership with ASO until 2023 and, thanks to its unique network of public service broadcasters, contribute to making ASO’s cycling events and, in particular the Tour de France, amongst the most watched and high-profile sporting events in Europe. This new agreement consolidates the EBU unrivalled position as a major media partner for the greatest cycling races in the world,” said Stefan Kürten, Executive Director EBU Sport.
About the EBU:
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable. We have 73 Members in 56 countries in Europe, and an additional 33 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas.
Our Members operate nearly 2,000 television and radio channels together with numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than 120 languages.
We are one EBU with two distinct fields of activity: member services and business services.
Our member services strive to secure a sustainable future for public service media, provide our Members with a centre for learning and sharing and build on our founding ethos of solidarity and co-operation to provide an exchange of world-class news, sports news and music.
Our business services – operating under the Eurovision Media Services brand – are the media industry’s partner of choice, providing innovative services from rights through to event facilities, production and distribution. We transmit almost 100,000 hours of news and sport over our network every year.
EBU Sport works with 28 international sports federations and handles more than 30 contracts every year. This represents around 200 events including over 700 competition days which Eurovision Media Services often produce and distribute.
We have offices in Brussels, Rome, Dubai, Moscow, New York, Washington DC, Singapore and Beijing. Our headquarters are in Geneva.
About A.S.O:
Amaury Sport Organisation is a company that owns, creates and organizes major international sports events. ASO specializes in non-stadium events has in-house expertise in all the various sectors linked to organizing, media coverage and marketing of sports events.
ASO organizes 270 competition days each year for 70 events in 25 countries.
It works in 5 different sports, including Tour de France cycling, Dakar rally, the Schneider Electric Marathon in Paris, Tour de France à la Voile sailing, and Lacoste Ladies Open de France golf.
Amaury Sport Organisation is a subsidiary of Groupe Amaury, a media and sports conglomerate that also publishes the sports newspaper L’Équipe.
