NBC Sports Group Announces Long-Term Extension For Tour de France

Announced today by the NBC Sports Group, the Tour de France will air primarily on NBC Sports Network and on NBC through 2023. The new agreement begins in 2014 and calls for a ten year contract. Most of the 21 stages will air on NBC Sports Network with some shown live on NBC.

NBC will own all television, digital and mobile rights for the Tour de France. Other events affiliated with the Tour de France including the Paris Marathon and the Dakar Rally will also be aired on NBCUniversal networks.

This year’s Tour de France will air on NBC Sports Network and NBC starting this Saturday at 8 a.m. ET. We have details of the new agreement below.

NBC SPORTS GROUP EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH ASO FOR MULTI-PLATFORM RIGHTS TO TOUR DE FRANCE THROUGH 2023

New Agreement, Beginning in 2014, Includes All U.S. Television, Digital and Mobile Rights to Tour de France Though 2023
NBC Sports Network Continues to be Home of Tour de France
NBC Will Air Live Stages in Each Year Beginning in 2012

New York – June 26, 2012 – The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and NBC Sports Group today announced a 10-year multi-platform extension that includes exclusive U.S. television, digital and mobile rights for the Tour de France through 2023. As part of the agreement, which begins in 2014, the NBC Sports Group will continue as the exclusive U.S. television home of the Tour de France, with live coverage of every stage, including live coverage on NBC each year.

Additionally, the NBC Sports Group will continue coverage of several other ASO properties, including the Dakar Rally and the Paris Marathon, as well as spring classic cycling events including Paris Nice, Criterium International, Criterium du Dauphine, Paris Roubaix, Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege and the Paris Tours.

“The Tour de France has long been one of the tent pole events on the NBC Sports Network schedule, and now will be an integral part of our NBC broadcast schedule, with live coverage each year,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the ASO on all of its properties for another decade.”

“We are very happy to see the Tour de France exposure growing in the United States,” said Yann le Moënner, Managing Director of ASO, organizers of the Tour de France. “Our long term agreement will give us the opportunity to work with the skilled storytellers at NBC to build a beautiful sports story during the next ten years. Beyond the Tour de France, this agreement continues NBC Sports Network’s coverage of all other ASO sporting events such as Paris-Roubaix, Dakar Rally and Paris Marathon, which will benefit from a large exposure on NBC Sports Group platforms.”

As previously announced, NBC Sports Group, the exclusive U.S. television partner of the Tour de France, will surround this year’s race with 295 total hours of coverage and robust digital offerings including:

  • 19 of the 21 stages live on NBC Sports Network;
  • Two stages (7 and 8) live on NBC; first ever live over the air coverage of the Tour de France;
  • An average of more than 13 hours of race action per day, in full HD, throughout the 21-stage competition on NBC Sports Network including a nightly studio show;
  • NBC recap shows on July 1 and July 22 for the first and final stages of the epic race.

The nightly studio show, 8-11 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, will feature a combination of race coverage and cycling insight, as well as highlights from some of the most compelling stories throughout the Tour. Each show will include analysis and strategy segments, as well as interviews with the riders at the start and finish lines.

NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of the 99th Tour de France begins on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, at the grand start in Liege, Belgium.

That will do it.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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