Eurosport to end in Ireland and cost of watching pro cycling to skyrocket

Eurosport to end in Ireland and cost of watching pro cycling to skyrocket

Orla Chennaoui, pictured here with a youthful-looking Bradley Wiggins, will remain the host of cycling, but the cost of watching the coverage is about to surge

Eurosport is set to cease as a brand in Ireland and Britain in a matter of weeks and the cost of watching live pro cycling is set to rocket as a result.

Discovery+, which includes Eurosport, has been available for €6.99 per month, and shows a very large selection of all the main races. However, viewers in Ireland will soon need a new monthly subscription costing almost five times as much.

Some consumers in Ireland who buy an add-on to their current Sky package can reduce their monthly outlay a little. But it will still be three or four times more expensive than the current price of Discovery+.

In a nutshell, cycling fans who want to watch live racing on TV will have to buy a subscription to TNT Sports, which is €30.99 per month.

This has happened because Warner Bros Discovery is integrating Eurosport into its TNT Sports network in the UK and Ireland from February 28th.

TNT Sports is available through Sky, NowTV, Virgin Media, and Vodafone in Ireland. NowTV costs €27 per month on a 12-month contract or €30 per month with no contract, though adding TNT Sport to some of the other packages will cost more.

The Eurosport channels and brand will continue in more than 50 territories across Europe. But, from February 28th, Eurosport will integrate with TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland.

It means live cycling, tennis, snooker and the Olympic Winter Games will move to TNT Sports, joining its current line-up of sports including the Premier League, UEFA European club football, Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, UFC and boxing.

WBD Sports Europe group SVP content, production and business operations, Scott Young, said combining Eurosport and TNT Sports content in the UK and Ireland “will enable us to offer a single, premium viewing experience for sports fans”.

“This move in the UK and Ireland will also continue to best deliver value for our leagues and federation partners, as we continue our 35 years plus commitment to investment and championing of sport on our screens, which remains a fundamental part of the success of grassroots through to elite,” he added.

“TNT Sports will also continue to bring more content to fans on Warner Bros. Discovery’s free-to-air channel Quest.

“In 2025, this will include broadcasting every MotoGP Sprint race, adding to existing live Bennetts British Superbikes coverage, a brand-new weekly cycling show covering all key moments of the season, continue highlights of the Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta a Espana, plus premiere a range of new sports documentaries.”

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