ITV announced this week that it has secured the rights to screen next year’s Tour de France for £5 million pounds. In a frankly surprising move ITV plan to screen Le Tour on terrestrial television as well as on its new digital ITV Sport channel. This is a clear sign that digital, indeed pay-per-view, television is not yet in a position to monopolise popular sport and entertainment. And that consumers do still have a voice.

BIKEmagic regulars will remember the various campaigns earlier this year to try and make Channel 4 see sense and reinstate its popular coverage of the world’s most popular cycling event. It’s heart warming, but perhaps unrealistic, to think of Channel 4 execs who have sold the broadcaster as being a leading provider of terrestrial sports coverage, kicking themselves 🙂