This looks like the thin end of an increasing wedge for cyclists: BSkyB are buying up the rights to cycling events. A few years back we could watch races on Eurosport for the cost of the analogue box.

Now we have to pay BSkyB around £25 per month to watch British Eurosport via Sky's Entertainment Extra package.

But the Tour Down Under has now been bought by BSkyB to be shown on their premium rate Sports Channels. Presumably they will also be showing the Tour of Langkawi and the Tour of Quatar, plus anything that Eurosport don’t already have under contract for the coming year. The Sky Sports Pack costs another £20 per month.

So Sky are now expecting us cyclists to pay£45 monthly to watch cycling, and maybe another £10 for HD. Well maybe they'll find out that unlike fans of their ball-games, cyclists are are a more tight-arsed bunch!

TDU has been on Sky Sports for the last few years, so it's nothing new.

To be honest, I don't think we do too badly for coverage on Eurosport - except for when the tennis gets in the way ;-) Fans of most of the so called "mainstream" sports already have to pay through the nose to get their sport fix.

Hopefully the big races will stay on ITV and Eurosport. I'm not into many other sports so don't want/need Sky Sports. Apparently the viewing figures on ITV4 aren't that big even for the TdF (more people watch darts!). I'll stick with the internet for now. Watching the spring classics with Flemish commentary is entertaining.

Totally agree with Pedalling Pete. Sky will ruin cycling tv coverage for the masses & only the more well off will be able to watch it. The same thing happened to boxing & rugby league. Never mind all the toff posers on their £2k bikes, clad in Assos clothing will be able to afford to watch it whilst those like myself clad in Aldi/Lidl cycling clothing (better quality in my opinion than a lot of cycling specific brands out there) or fake team replica kit from Hong Kong. We will have to be happy with the scraps of coverage thrown to us on Channel 4 which Sky deem unpopular enough to let us watch.
Sky make me sick, they think that they can dictate to everyone, well hopefully it won't be long before they realise that the cost of funding a professional cycling team is more than the revenue generated by an increase in sports channel revenues. They will then pull the plug on Team Sky putting a lot of the background staff out of work just for corporate greed.
Eurosport has been fantastic over the years, long may they provide cycling coverage.

Rant over!!

Well that's the end of cycling on TV for the masses , now Sky gave seen an increase of popularity they will buy up all the rights and go the same way as boxing a once popular sport on TV , i used to watch all the fights , now i watch one every cpl of years

Thanks for your excellent web site ,we in Australia are also bitterly dissapointed inh the change of Tour Tv rights going to commercial GTV9 who are are showing half hour highlites at 11.20PM whereas our previous coverage was niightly at 6pm. as well as some live coverage. at least we dont have to pay as you do through SKY B. the revolt is growing but the change here is for 3 years. I dont think OZ cycling fans will put up up with for that long.greed is creeping into our sports arena viewing sadly.

Sport will learn that the grass roots will die if you restrict your audience... Unfortunately it will be too late for some sports. Take the money now... Pay later!