CLIMBING AUDIENCES POWER STRONG START TO TNT SPORTS’ FIRST EXCLUSIVE LIVE TOUR DE FRANCE COVERAGE

TNT Sports has made a strong start to its first exclusive live broadcast of the Tour de France in the UK, with audiences growing across all platforms demonstrating the continued momentum behind its cycling coverage.

Following week one of the race into the first rest day (stages 1-9), TNT Sports has reached +41% more television viewers compared to 2025 and its average live audience on TNT Sports 1 has grown by more than a half (+55%).

Free-to-air partnership with 5 supports audience growth

This momentum is reflected through its free-to-air partnership with public service broadcaster 5, which is bringing daily Tour de France highlights to UK viewers following each stage. An average audience of more than half a million viewers have tuned in to each programme on 5.

More UK fans streaming the Tour de France

Every stage of the Tour de France is also available to watch live on HBO Max, the streaming home of TNT Sports, in the UK for the first time in 2026. Fans are streaming more Tour de France content than during last year’s race with unique viewing subscribers rising by +22% (compared to last year’s race which streamed on discovery+ in the UK), video views increasing by +26% and hours watched growing by +28%.

Across Europe, while parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has also grown its premium television coverage on Eurosport by +21% and streaming viewership on HBO Max by +11%, its audience growth in the UK far outpaces Europe.

Streaming features driving engagement

The innovative in-app features built into HBO Max for cycling fans have also resulted in more people spending longer on the platform during the Tour de France. Across Europe, 18.5% of all streaming subscribers have engaged with the new Multiview feature on HBO Max, which enables viewers to watch four race feeds in one quad view so they get the complete view as the race unfolds. This, paired with Key Moments, which allows users to immediately navigate to pivotal points during each stage on HBO Max, have contributed to rising viewership and engagement on the platform.  

The Tour de France continues to be shown in full, from the first flag to the finish line, each day on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with live and on-demand streaming on HBO Max, together with 5’s hour-long highlights programme airing at 7pm. Across Europe, coverage of every stage is broadcast on Eurosport with streaming on HBO Max.

HOW TO WATCH TNT SPORTS

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms including EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media. HBO Max is the streaming destination for TNT Sports in the UK, presenting many of the world’s most celebrated sports events live together with an extensive selection of original documentaries.