Sports Minister dismisses Tory MP’s concerns that £30.99 a month TNT subscription will lead to cycling “disappearing behind paywall” in Westminster Hall debate, saying “it’s not for the government to intervene”

Professional cycling was on the agenda in parliament on Wednesday morning, when concerns over the future of cycling television coverage, in light of Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to close Eurosport and move pro cycling to TNT Sports, while introducing a whopping 343 per cent price hike for fans, were raised by Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty.

The Conservative MP, who is a member of British Cycling and describes himself as a keen cyclist, had announced that he had secured a Westminster Hall debate, in order to press the government to help to secure the future of cycling in the UK, earlier this morning.

The agenda was tabled in light of Eurosport, the home for all things cycling at the price of £6.99 a month, shutting down last week. Fans will now have to pay £30.99 to subscribe to TNT Sports to watch cycling races. Even the Tour de France, described by Obese-Jecty as cycling’s “blue ribbon event”, will stop being aired by ITV from 2026, leaving fans with no free-to-air coverage of cycling's biggest event.

During the debate, the MP highlighted the dwindling British racing scene and the apparently deteriorating success of British riders in the pro peloton, at least compared to the “winning machines” that Great Britain produced a decade ago.

Obese-Jecty also argued that the lack of accessible cycling coverage would “leave the new generation with no inspiration to take on two wheels” and fail to promote active travel, complaints that were nevertheless brushed aside by Stephanie Peacock, the Minister for Sports.

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Obese-Jecty highlighted that the only place to watch most pro bike races was Eurosport, until Friday that is, when the channel was “consigned to the history books” in the UK.

“Eurosport’s demise is a hammer blow for coverage of cycling in the UK,” he added.

2024 Tour de France peloton (credit: ASO/Charly Lopez)

While Peacock described Obese-Jecty’s speech as “incredibly interesting and thoughtful” and appreciated the role cycling has played in Britain’s economy, tourism, and sporting credentials, she said that issues such as regulating TNT Sports’ price hike and the loss of broadcasting rights for ITV for the Tour de France from 2026 onwards is “not a matter for the government”.

She said: “Given the variety of formats and events in professional cycling, it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with the sport through physical attendance alone.

“So it’s unsurprising that so many people enjoy TV coverage, and I sympathise with the points the Honourable Member has made about the cost of TV packages, not least, following the decision to integrate Eurosport, the long-time broadcaster of professional cycling, into TNT sports.

“That will mean that to watch cycling alongside other sports go, the price will go up to over £30, and he’s absolutely right — for many, £30 a month is a lot of money. I’m sure TNT Sports will be thinking about the balance between generating revenue and ensuring cycling continues to be seen regularly on TV, helping to grow the sport.

“However, as the Minister for Sport, I also appreciate the importance of TV revenues in sustaining these sports, and recognise that commercial matters need to be considered carefully when making those decisions. I'm sure the Honourable Member would agree that it's not for the government to intervene in such decisions.

> No Tour de France on ITV from 2026 as Eurosport becomes exclusive UK broadcaster

“On the point about the Tour de France being on free-to-air television, I recognise that many will have taken great pleasure in watching it in the last 25 years on ITV and it is a matter for the broadcaster with the Tour de France rights to determine whether any coverage will be available for free-to-air in the future. Any discussions wouldn’t be a matter for the government.

“Now, I am aware of the speculation about the Tour de France taking place in the UK in 2027. We have, in the past, made no secret of our ambition to host the Grand Départ here, again following the success of the 2014 event in Yorkshire, in the hope of inspiring more people to enjoy cycling and bring lasting benefits to our communities. However, nothing has been decided, and this is a matter for the organisers.”

“The inclusivity the sport offers appears to be at odds with the options available to consume it”

Geraint Thomas 2024 Giro d'Italia (credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Geraint Thomas was the last British winner of the Tour de France, winning the yellow jersey seven years ago 

Preceding the Secretary of State for Sport’s response, Obese-Jecty had delivered an impassioned plea to save cycling in the country. “Cycling is so much more than just a sport. It has changed lives, saved lives, given people purpose and freedom,” he said. “It is one of our greatest sporting success stories.”

“But like all things, its success depends upon the next generation being willing to pick up the torch. To do that, children need to be inspired, and parents need to be enthused. Whilst the next generation of cyclists to emerge are already in the pipeline, there are limited options available to them domestically, and they will almost certainly now need to go abroad in order to take the next step to progress in their career.”

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He emphasised the role of being able to view cycling on television, comparing it to other elite sports like football and tennis.

“Cycling is not football, where you are never more than a stone’s throw from a pub to watch the game. We see mainstream sports all the time. Even just a glimpse on the news bulletin can be enough. But cycling rarely gets a look-in," he said.

“A British cyclist reaching the pinnacle of sport, winning the world championships,  the rainbow jersey, barely registers in the world of sports coverage. A tennis player so much as gets a bye into the second round of a Grand Slam, and they carry the hopes of a nation.”

He added: “The inclusivity the sport offers appears to be at odds with the options available to consume it. Cycling is not a wealthy sport. The careers of professional cyclists are hard and precarious. Only those who achieve superstar status will make their fortune. For many, it is a journeyman sport, and for many more, it is too hard to sustain.

“To be popular, a sport must be visible; to be visible, a sport must have a television presence. The government would never allow the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, or Wimbledon to be put behind a paywall. With an estimated 12 million spectators attending the race each year, the Tour de France is easily the most attended sporting event in the world, and I would ask the government to look at how it can inspire a new generation of Froomes and Cavendishes to take up the mantle.”

Mark Cavendish Tour de France 2024 (credit: ASO/Billy Ceusters)

Mark "The Manx Missile" Cavendish holds the record for the most Tour de France stage wins

He concluded his speech, saying: “I would ask the Minister what the government can do, and what the government is doing to put British cycling on the right trajectory and stop the sport from fading into obscurity.

“What support can it give to the grassroots, and what help can it give to the struggling professional scene? What guarantees can it offer that the Tour of Britain and the world championships across all disciplines won’t disappear behind the TNT paywall as well? What will it do to use professional cycling as a catalyst and to get the next generation out onto two wheels, matching its existing to active travel schemes?”

This isn’t the first time Obese-Jecty has come out in criticism of TNT Sport’s £30.99 per month subscription fee. Just a couple of days after the news of Eurosport’s demise was made public, he took to social media to write: “A terrible decision by TNT Sports to put cycling coverage behind a paywall with a 400 per cent price hike.

“With ITV having also lost the free-to-air rights of the Tour de France, next month cycling coverage is going to become a prohibitively expensive luxury to a huge number of fans.”