Critics slam Warner Bros cutting Eurosport for TNT Sports in UK
Last week Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would be winding down its UK-based Eurosport operation with the live sport content migrating to TNT Sports from the end of this month.
On the face of it, having the Olympics, Champions League, Autumn Nations Cup and more all in one spot is ideal for sports fans.
But for those who had a good deal in subscribing to only Eurosport on Discovery+, rather than the whole of TNT Sports, for sports coverage of cycling, snooker and tennis, the change will be costly.
A Eurosport subscription of around £7 may now breach the £30 per month cap for TNT Sports, a 300-plus per cent rise.
And that’s what all current subscribers of Eurosport will pay unless they opt out before the new tariffs are introduced.
It’s fair to say that this change has caused outrage.
Former Giro d’Italia winner and British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart said: “For those in need of some context, the cost of watching racing has gone from £87 a year to £370.
“Let’s be clear, the sport going behind such a large paywall is a huge problem. Cycling is completely reliant on this audience, it is how teams justify themselves to sponsors spending millions a year.
“I find it hard to believe many fans will be able to justify this increase in costs to follow our races & those of our female colleagues. We want and need to remain available to all of the huge British audience that has been built up over the last 15 years of astronomic success.”
Eurosport shame
Added George Thomas of Tennis HQ said, “It is a real shame Eurosport will stop its coverage in the UK. It leaves Wimbledon as the only grand slam event that is not behind some paywall [though TNT will show both the men’s and women’s finals].
“Tennis is a fantastic sport and the UK public really enjoy watching Wimbledon every year and feel inspired to give tennis a go. The availability of tennis to the public just dropped to even lower levels with 95 per cent of all tennis coverage throughout the year having to be paid for by the viewer.”
The media landscape is always changing and evolving, and conversations around paywall versus free-to-air are always rife.
It does feel strange, however, that TNT Sports cannot provide sport specific packages like Premier Sports have been able to do with rugby union.
The move makes TNT Sports stronger and Eurosport redundant in the UK, but it faces backlash and could cast aside hardcore fans the broadcaster will need to thrive.