Channel 5 And TNT Sports Strike Multi-Year Deal For Grand Tour Highlights

Channel 5 has secured a landmark multi-year agreement with TNT Sports to show exclusive English-language free-to-air highlights of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Giro d'Italia in the UK. The coverage begins with daily highlights of the 2026 Tour de France, starting with the Grand Départ in Barcelona on 4 July, hosted by sports presenter and journalist Rebecca Charlton.

Under the deal, 5 will broadcast daily highlights of the Tour de France from 2026 to 2028, the Vuelta a España from 2026 to 2028, and the Giro d'Italia from 2027 to 2029. The arrangement follows a competitive tender and is intended to broaden access to the sport's marquee events across the country, complementing TNT Sports' extensive live rights portfolio.

In 2027, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin in the UK, with the Grand Départ stages televised live on both 5 and TNT Sports. The men's race is scheduled to start with Stage 1 from Edinburgh to Carlisle on 2 July, followed by Stage 2 from Keswick to Liverpool on 3 July, and Stage 3 from Welshpool to Cardiff on 4 July. Daily highlights of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will also be available on 5.

Reemah Sakaan, President, 5 said: "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."

Scott Young, EVP, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe said: "This partnership with 5 represents a major step forward in expanding the reach of elite cycling across the UK. As the Home of Cycling, we are committed to bringing fans closer to the biggest races in the world across both men's and women's cycling, and this agreement ensures even more viewers can experience the drama, emotion and storytelling that define Grand Tour racing.

"By combining a strong free-to-air highlights offering with our comprehensive live coverage, we are delivering unprecedented access to the sport across every platform. Cycling is one of the most compelling sports in the world, featuring extraordinary athletes and unforgettable moments, and it's important that those stories are shared with the widest possible audience.

"Expanding reach and engaging new audiences across our rights portfolio remains a key strategic priority, and partnerships such as this play an important role in achieving that ambition."

Rebecca Charlton said: "It's fantastic news that the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana will return to terrestrial television with highlights on 5 this summer and I am delighted to be able to tell the world that I will be the host.

"It's an absolute dream to have the opportunity to bring the racing to life for all of the cycling fans out there as well as guiding some new viewers along for the ride. We'll be bringing highlights of all of the action as well as telling the stories around the racing and I for one, cannot wait!"

TNT Sports will continue to provide comprehensive live coverage, including every stage of the Tour de France, and says it delivers 100% of the Men's and Women's UCI World Tour with more than 1,000 cycling broadcasts across 300 days each year. For the 2026 Tour de France (4–26 July), every stage will be available live on TNT Sports and HBO Max*, the streaming home of TNT Sports in the UK.** Coverage on TNT Sports will be led by Orla Chennaoui with analysis and commentary from former professionals Adam Blythe and Robbie McEwen, among others.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced in October 2024 that it had extended its agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) to continue as the exclusive live broadcaster of every Tour de France stage through to 2030.

Channel 5's sports slate already features a range of major events, including the NFL Super Bowl, the FIFA Club World Cup, England T20 cricket internationals and snooker's British Open. The channel was recently confirmed as the English-language free-to-air home of the Commonwealth Games.

Key Grand Tour dates for 2026–27 include: the Tour de France from 4–26 July 2026; Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift from 1–9 August 2026; Vuelta a España from 22 August to 13 September 2026; Giro d'Italia in May 2027 (dates TBC); the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ stages in the UK from 2–4 July; the Tour de France in July 2027 (dates TBC); and the Vuelta a España from 4–26 September 2027.


*Subscription to TNT Sports required. Ts&Cs apply, 18+

**TNT Sports is not available on HBO Max in Ireland. TNT Sports can be accessed via local Television providers