ITV4 are not showing the 2019 Giro d’Italia – here’s where you can see it
ITV4 will not be covering this year’s Giro d’Italia. The race is run by a different organisation from the Tour de France and many other major races and they don’t have the rights. That isn’t to say you can’t see it though. You still have options.
Live TV coverage
Eurosport do a great job of covering professional road racing. A lot of people have Eurosport as part of their TV package, but if you don’t, you can sign up for the Eurosport Player. It’s £6.99 a month- which will cover the entire race – or £39.99 for a whole year (for which you would get live coverage of pretty much all the other major bike races this season and at the start of next season). The Eurosport Player means you can follow the entire race on your laptop (or on a telly plugged into your laptop or whatever).
(Update: As Toby points out in the comments, the race is being broadcast live on S4C and S4CHD live, which is available free in UK. Here’s where you can find it. “Probably Welsh commentary, but not certain. If it’s like their rugby coverage depending on how your viewing it can be toggled to English.”)
Highlights
A daily one-hour highlights programme will be broadcast on free-to-air channel Quest at 7pm. It’s a Eurosport production and they’ve been making more and more effort with it each year. (Bradley Wiggins is signed up for punditry this time around.) Somewhat bizarrely, triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards hosts the programme and while it lacks the dry humour of ITV4’s show, it’s intelligent and organised and tells the major stories well. Quest is available on Freeview and most of the other UK TV platforms, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to get it.
Here
I’ll be covering the Giro, so why not follow it here? If you haven’t done so already, here’s why you should sign up for email updates and if you do already subscribe, please forward today’s email to someone who might be interested by way of recommendation. This act of kindness would be greatly appreciated and I’ll reward you by just sort of carrying on much as I would have done even if you hadn’t bothered.
This is an updated version of last year’s article about UK TV coverage of the Giro d’Italia.
It’s a pity they can’t come to some arrangement just for highlights. ITV4 do TDF and Vuelta and it would be lovely to see the Giro on the same channel as well.
I’m sure they’re interested, but it must be a cost thing. Maybe it works as a package or something. The Tour, Vuelta and Tour de Yorkshire all have the same organisers. Of races organised by RCS, the Giro is probably the only stage race ITV4 would be particularly interested in.
If cycling really is growing in popularity in the UK (never entirely sure this isn’t just a myth), maybe ITV 4 will one day get a bigger budget. Can’t imagine they’re awash with cash though.
Eurosport seem to have tied up the Italian races till 2020 at least:
http://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/eurosport-confirms-exclusive-giro-d-italia-rights-as-part-of-200-days-of-live-cycling-in-2017_sto6037134/story.shtml
Shame. ITV 4 coverage is so much better than Eurosport’s amateur commentary
Oh so true. Eurosport DO have some decent commentators, but they also have the utterly abominable and thankfully inimitable Carlton Kirby who appears to think that a pale imitation of Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman is (a) funny and (b) appropriate. And then there’s Giggling Rob Hatch, who must surely be one of the most over-excited, fourth formers ever to have been left too close to a microphone.
At the first syllable of Carlton Kirby I turn to another channel, whilst Hatch is the reason mute buttons were invented.
Thank you ITV4. I shall be watching the Tour de Yorkshire.
Could not agree more Adrian,thought it was just me. Where do they get these commentators from.Kirby,Hatch and the like,do they really need to continually waffle on,just stop talking until there is need to,I would like just to watch and hear the back ground sound. So thank goodness for the mute button.
Not sure what his name is, but the QUEST commentator I’m currently listening to is treating his Giro commentary as if it’s for some other sport (i.e. hyper-excited, ‘oh-my-god-this-is-SO-exciting’ voice). Is just not appropriate for anything but the end of sprints. The rest of the time, cycling is more a game of tactics. You wouldn’t scream in excitement when commenting on a chess march; nor should you with cycling.
It’s on S4C and S4CHD live. Available free in UK. Probably Welsh commentary, but not certain. If it’s like their rugby coverage depending on how your viewing it can be toggled to English.
Top tip. Thanks Toby.