The organisers of the cycling's new UCI Track Champions League have secured a first international broadcast partner for the series in New Zealand pay-television operator Sky.
Sky is to offer all rounds of the inaugural season live and in full, with additional highlights packages.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Track Champions League is a joint initiative of the UCI, cycling's international governing body, and Discovery, the US media giant that owns pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport.
Eurosport will be showing the series across Europe and in Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, with coverage also available on Discovery's GCN+ and GCN Racing digital chanels.
The inaugural season will comprise six events in five countries in November and December.
Last month, Eurosport Events, the events arm of Eurosport, who hold sponsorship rights to the Track Champions League, said the league would benefit from “an extensive global broadcast distribution strategy with the aim of reaching and engaging as many cycling fans as possible".
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe league will debut in Mallorca in Spain on 6 November before visiting in St Quentin en Yvelines in France, Panevėžys in Lithuania, London in the UK for a double-header, and conclude in Tel Aviv in Israel on 11 December.
The organisers said at the launch that partnerships with “top-tier” broadcasters had already been agreed and would be announced in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, GCN has signed a global rights deal with the USCX Cyclocross Series, the new USA-based competition
The multi-year tie-up will see the series shown live and ad-free on GCN+.
USCX Cyclocross was formed from a coming together of four US-based UCI cyclo-cross events.
The 2021 series starts in Rochester in New York on 25 September, before visiting Charm City in Baltimore and Iowa City, and wrapping up in Cincinnati in Ohio on 24 October.
John Meehan, co-owner of the USCX Series, said: “The partnership with GCN is a huge step forward for cycling in North America. GCN does incredible work covering cycling events around the world, and we are excited to work with them to share this eight race, four venue series with international audiences. The increase in exposure for the athletes, sponsors and local communities is crucial for the sport's continued growth. We look forward to showcasing these great events to the world."
