Canadian sports TV network Sportsnet has signed a six-year deal for the multimedia rights to the Tour de France from 2014 to 2019.
The deal was signed by Sportsnet’s parent company Rogers Communications and the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), organisers of the Tour de France. It confirms Sportsnet as the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of cycling’s three Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, Italy’s Giro d'Italia and Spain’s Vuelta a España.
According to an official press release, ‘the new deal includes exclusive national rights for television, plus digital and mobile devices during all 21 stages of the world’s most popular cycling race.’ The financial terms of the agreement were not released.
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“The Tour de France is the ultimate event in cycling,” said vice-president of finance and sports programming at Rogers Communications Navaid Mansuri. “We are thrilled to partner with the Amaury Sport Organization for the exclusive Canadian rights for this world-class event, which solidifies our commitment to providing fans with premium cycling content across multiple platforms and strengthens Sportsnet's already robust portfolio of cycling programming.”
ASO general manager Yann Le Moenner added: “We're excited to partner with Sportsnet to bring the Tour de France event to cycling enthusiasts in Canada as we do in 190 countries. Cycling is one of the most popular sports in the world and this agreement will contribute to reinforce the unique connection between Tour de France and its Canadian fans.”
The deal follows last week’s announcement that Britain will host the Tour de France’s 2014 Grande Départ.
Tour de France – Sportsnet
