"I hope and believe the stages will be free-to-air in the UK" - Tour director optimistic that at least the 2027 Grand Départ will make it onto British TVs

From 2026 onwards, the Tour de France will be hidden behind paywall for all cycling fans in UK after an exclusive deal between Warner Bros Discovery and Tour organiser ASO sealed the future of free-to-air broadcast in the country until 2030.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for British fans, with Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme saying he is "optimistic" that at least the Grand Départs of both 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes will have free live coverage in the UK, Cycling Weekly reports.

"There will be discussions, of course," he said on Wednesday, at the announcement of the Grands Départs. "But I do hope - and I do believe - that the stages will be live and free-to-air in 2027 in the UK. There will be discussions and we're optimistic."  

As for the remaining 18 men's stages and six women's stages - WBD likely won't support any sort of bargain that would hurt the incomes coming from its exclusive deal with ASO. Therefore the remainder of both Tours is still likely to be paywalled.