Spectator coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and La Vuelta Femenina to remain free for Australian audiences until at least 2030
The 2025 edition of the rebooted women's Tour de France, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, has broken new ground in terms of viewership, with an impressive 89% year-on-year increase in numbers. Over 100 million hours of racing were watched across 50 European countries, and in Australia, the numbers were equally impressive.
The suspenseful nine-day event, the fourth edition of the rebooted women's Tour, saw many favourites still in contention right up to the second-last stage of racing. Among them was Australia's Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal). The race was won by Pauline Ferrand-Prevéot (Visma-Lease a Bike) for the fourth time, making her the event's most successful rider to date.
In Australia, almost 26 million viewers watched the event, representing a 42% year-on-year increase. The broadcaster, SBS, achieved a Total TV Reach of 1.8 million in the country. Moreover, SBS grew third-party platform views for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes to 11.7 million, a 99% increase year on year.
The agreement between SBS and the organisers of the Tour de France Femmes ensures free-to-air access for Australian viewers for at least the next five editions. This brings the broadcast deal for the women's Tour into line with that of the men's Tour, for which a deal was penned in 2020 to seal the broadcast rights through the end of the decade.
SBS has also extended its agreement to broadcast La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es to 2030. However, as of now, SBS has not announced a new agreement for the broadcast of the men's Giro d'Italia.
Many cycling viewers are struggling with increasing subscription prices, and the free-to-air access provided by SBS is a welcome development. The 2026 Tour de France Femmes was a rebooted version of the original women's Tour de France, and its success is a testament to the growing popularity of women's cycling.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevéot, a returning road rider, won the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, marking a significant milestone in her career. The agreement between SBS and the organisers of the Tour de France Femmes ensures that the event will be available for free-to-air access in Australia through at least 2030.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Tough choices on August 13, 2025 for those born under Aquarius? Consider the advantages and disadvantages to gain guidance
- Microbiome's Impact on Emotional States, Judgement, and Mental Health Conditions
- Restaurant staff allegedly requires Minnesota teenager to validate her gender for bathroom access.
