FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
NBC SPORTS GROUP EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH ASO FOR MULTI-PLATFORM RIGHTS TO TOUR DE FRANCE THROUGH 2023
New York – June 26, 2012 – The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) andNBC Sports Group today announced a 10-year multi-platform extension that includes exclusive U.S. television, digital and mobile rights for the Tour de France through 2023. As part of the agreement, which begins in 2014, the NBC Sports Group will continue as the exclusive U.S. television home of the Tour de France, with live coverage of every stage, including live coverage on NBC each year.
Additionally, the NBC Sports Group will continue coverage of several other ASO properties, including the Dakar Rally and the Paris Marathon, as well as spring classic cycling events including Paris Nice, Criterium International, Criterium du Dauphine, Paris Roubaix, Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege and the Paris Tours.
“The Tour de France has long been one of the tent pole events on the NBC Sports Network schedule, and now will be an integral part of our NBC broadcast schedule, with live coverage each year,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the ASO on all of its properties for another decade.”
“We are very happy to see the Tour de France exposure growing in the United States,” said Yann le Moënner, Managing Director of ASO, organizers of the Tour de France. “Our long term agreement will give us the opportunity to work with the skilled storytellers at NBC to build a beautiful sports story during the next ten years. Beyond the Tour de France, this agreement continues NBC Sports Network’s coverage of all other ASO sporting events such as Paris-Roubaix, Dakar Rally and Paris Marathon, which will benefit from a large exposure on NBC Sports Group platforms.”
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As previously announced, NBC Sports Group, the exclusive U.S. television partner of the Tour de France, will surround this year’s race with 295 total hours of coverage and robust digital offerings including:
• 19 of the 21 stages live on NBC Sports Network;
• Two stages (7 and 8) live on NBC; first ever live over the air coverage of the Tour de France;
• An average of more than 13 hours of race action per day, in full HD, throughout the 21-stage competition on NBC Sports Network including a nightly studio show;
• NBC recap shows on July 1 and July 22 for the first and final stages of the epic race.
The nightly studio show, 8-11 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, will feature a combination of race coverage and cycling insight, as well as highlights from some of the most compelling stories throughout the Tour. Each show will include analysis and strategy segments, as well as interviews with the riders at the start and finish lines.
NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of the 99th Tour de France begins on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, at the grand start in Liege, Belgium.
