If you’re of a certain vintage, your introduction to professional cycling didn’t involve an unedited, six-hour live stream of a transition stage where absolutely nothing happens for the first 180 kilometers. It involved sprinting home from school, frying up some fish fingers, and turning on the television just in time for a 30-minute highlights package soundtracked by Pete Shelley’s iconic synth-bass theme.
It was the golden age of terrestrial cycling media, beautifully curated and anchored by the deadpan, sardonic wit of Gary Imlach and the legendary enthusiasm of Phil Liggett.
For years, British terrestrial viewers have been starved of that highly specific, dinner-table cycling ritual. But Channel 5 is officially trying to resurrect the ghost of July nostalgia. The broadcaster has just penned a massive, multi-year deal with TNT Sports to become the exclusive free-to-air home for Grand Tour highlights in the UK.
Shaking Up the Teatime Slot
Starting this July, you get a daily, free-to-air Tour de France highlights show broadcasted straight to your television at 7:00 PM every single evening.
The deal runs from 2026 through 2028 and covers the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España immediately, with the Giro d’Italia joining the terrestrial rotation in 2027. The broadcasts will be fronted by our former colleague and one-time DerailedUK victim, Rebecca Charlton.
Live Terrestrial Invasions for 2027
If daily highlights aren’t enough to satisfy your appetite for high-altitude suffering, Channel 5 has also secured more racing for the 2027 season.
In a major coup for British fans, the Grand Depart is returning to the UK in 2027 with stages planned across Scotland, England, and Wales. Channel 5 will be broadcasting full, live coverage of the UK stages, alongside live coverage of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
For those who prefer their racing unedited and complete with technical commentary from Orla Chennaoui, Robbie McEwen, and Adam Blythe, the live rights for the rest of the calendar remain locked down with TNT Sports and HBO Max. But for everyone else, terrestrial television just got a hell of a lot more interesting. Grab your dinner, set your clock for 7:00 PM on July 4, and prepare for the return of the teatime tradition.
