Not sure if this is UK only but WBD are moving cycling coverage to the TNT sports channel from Eurosport, meaning the monthly subscription is increasing...
Is it still gonna be on discovery plus? Cus the downhill hardly got on Eurosport live so I doubt it'll be on TNT, especially live. I...
Is it still gonna be on discovery plus? Cus the downhill hardly got on Eurosport live so I doubt it'll be on TNT, especially live. I get discovery plus free with my sky package so hopefully it's still on there, that's the only reason I still watch ahaha
"Customers who use the Discovery+ app will also witness a price hike, and will have to swap from the standard £6.99 a month package to the...
"Customers who use the Discovery+ app will also witness a price hike, and will have to swap from the standard £6.99 a month package to the £30.99 premium package if they want to continue to watch live cycling."
Balls (never mind paying a bit, but that’s a lot!)
I had the discovery channels free with my Sky deal as well so I saw all the world cups the last couple of seasons.
I certainly won't be paying for TNT at that price to watch this year.
At the end of the day it was UCIs product to sell. Warner are doing what suits them but UCI is the one to blame for not renewing the deal with Red Bull.
The Red Bull deal worked for the supporters. Free coverage.
Just how are the Elite World Cup riders like Bruni and Pierron going to feel when nobody is watching their races on TV .
If Red Bull are showing crankworks and other races for free then surely the hype is going to grow around those races. And hype and eyeballs are what the sponsors want.
I'm sure something good will come from the lessons learned over the next few years but careers are short. Bruni, Pom Pom and Amaury and Vergier probably don't have too many years left at their peak and I'm going to miss seeing them race this season
As of September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported $40.21 billion in debt, while Walt Disney reported $45.82 billion in debt.Using massive debt to buy...
As of September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported $40.21 billion in debt, while Walt Disney reported $45.82 billion in debt.
Using massive debt to buy exclusive rights then charging more than many people are willing to pay doesn't seem ideal.
Nah, smart business! There is certainly plenty of mountain bikers who will pay enough to cover the losses of both of those businesses. 🤣
500 million mountain bikers paying $30 per month for 6 months and it breaks even.
As of September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported $40.21 billion in debt, while Walt Disney reported $45.82 billion in debt.Using massive debt to buy...
As of September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported $40.21 billion in debt, while Walt Disney reported $45.82 billion in debt.
Using massive debt to buy exclusive rights then charging more than many people are willing to pay doesn't seem ideal.
Both companies still make money. While I don't love the streaming business model for a lot of reasons, I think its a lot more complicated than we're boiling it down to here. Ignoring Disney for a second, WBD is kicking off over $5B in free cash flow per year, and adjusted EBIDTA of over $2B. Not saying all their moves are genius, and I'm pretty indifferent to the WC coverage, but its worth noting that not all leverage is bad leverage.
I had the discovery channels free with my Sky deal as well so I saw all the world cups the last couple of seasons. I certainly won't...
I had the discovery channels free with my Sky deal as well so I saw all the world cups the last couple of seasons.
I certainly won't be paying for TNT at that price to watch this year.
At the end of the day it was UCIs product to sell. Warner are doing what suits them but UCI is the one to blame for not renewing the deal with Red Bull.
The Red Bull deal worked for the supporters. Free coverage.
Just how are the Elite World Cup riders like Bruni and Pierron going to feel when nobody is watching their races on TV .
If Red Bull are showing crankworks and other races for free then surely the hype is going to grow around those races. And hype and eyeballs are what the sponsors want.
I'm sure something good will come from the lessons learned over the next few years but careers are short. Bruni, Pom Pom and Amaury and Vergier probably don't have too many years left at their peak and I'm going to miss seeing them race this season
"no one is watching" UK/Ireland you mean, plenty of people still watching.
And lets face it, this was coming all along and yes it will come to rest of the world too at some point, just like every other sport. Hockey (national and NHL), football, NFL, F1, rally, depending on the package deal that's 35-80 euros in Finland, so in a year or two, DH is just another acronym on that list. Trying to grow something is a bitch, it will make people angry (as it did with those another sports which were much cheaper too at some point) but, it has to be done to make money and evolve.
For the meantime, I'm happy for my 5 euro hbo max deal and will most likely pay when the time comes at some point.
Sleeper edit no more to say , just can't wait for the full video. when you have some injuries and are interest in downhill you can only admire this athlete for such dedication.
Racing related: first footage I've seen of Goldstone in a while, I know it's a play lap, but my god the kid can just do anything at anytime. One of the sickest follow cams I've seen!
Saw this on Emmett Hancock's IG, and then checked the site - Canadian Enduro League on hiatus for 2025:
2025 Season Update
After much reflection and despite a winter full of planning for an amazing season, we've decided to hit pause on our events for 2025.
We're endlessly thankful for every rider, family, trail builder, organization, resort, brand, and all the OGs who've been with us since 2016. The support everyone has shown is nothing short of amazing. The spirit of our community is what makes riding truly special, and we're excited to explore some epic trails with you all, our friends and families, this summer.
This is certainly not goodbye, it’s just a little breather to recharge, and realign our gears for the future. Stay tuned for updates in September/October about what's next.
HBO Max isn't an option in UK?
edit: seems like the Max + eurosport deal is only in nordic countries
Is Eurosport Player/Discovery+/whatever-online-platform still available in France etc? That plus a VPN is something I'd be interested in.
France, like the Nordics also has the HBO Max offer. Same for most of Western Europe (except UK & IRL)
Balls (never mind paying a bit, but that’s a lot!)
It is. My Internet subscription is less than that...
Downhill Rockies announced the season schedule. Thanks Jeremiah and team! (If any of them are in here)
So cool to see! One of these days I need to get back on a DH rig and see some old friends.
I had the discovery channels free with my Sky deal as well so I saw all the world cups the last couple of seasons.
I certainly won't be paying for TNT at that price to watch this year.
At the end of the day it was UCIs product to sell. Warner are doing what suits them but UCI is the one to blame for not renewing the deal with Red Bull.
The Red Bull deal worked for the supporters. Free coverage.
Just how are the Elite World Cup riders like Bruni and Pierron going to feel when nobody is watching their races on TV .
If Red Bull are showing crankworks and other races for free then surely the hype is going to grow around those races. And hype and eyeballs are what the sponsors want.
I'm sure something good will come from the lessons learned over the next few years but careers are short. Bruni, Pom Pom and Amaury and Vergier probably don't have too many years left at their peak and I'm going to miss seeing them race this season
As of September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported $40.21 billion in debt, while Walt Disney reported $45.82 billion in debt.
Using massive debt to buy exclusive rights then charging more than many people are willing to pay doesn't seem ideal.
Nah, smart business! There is certainly plenty of mountain bikers who will pay enough to cover the losses of both of those businesses. 🤣
500 million mountain bikers paying $30 per month for 6 months and it breaks even.
Mountain States Cup vibes
Both companies still make money. While I don't love the streaming business model for a lot of reasons, I think its a lot more complicated than we're boiling it down to here. Ignoring Disney for a second, WBD is kicking off over $5B in free cash flow per year, and adjusted EBIDTA of over $2B. Not saying all their moves are genius, and I'm pretty indifferent to the WC coverage, but its worth noting that not all leverage is bad leverage.
"no one is watching" UK/Ireland you mean, plenty of people still watching.
And lets face it, this was coming all along and yes it will come to rest of the world too at some point, just like every other sport. Hockey (national and NHL), football, NFL, F1, rally, depending on the package deal that's 35-80 euros in Finland, so in a year or two, DH is just another acronym on that list. Trying to grow something is a bitch, it will make people angry (as it did with those another sports which were much cheaper too at some point) but, it has to be done to make money and evolve.
For the meantime, I'm happy for my 5 euro hbo max deal and will most likely pay when the time comes at some point.
fontana #2 pov (with a rainbow at the start gate!) - a hardline tasmania thread has been started here too.
only a week away! https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/2025-hardline-tasmania-bikes-practice-event
RACER trailer about amaury and myriam by sleeper. looks sick!
Sleeper edit no more to say , just can't wait for the full video. when you have some injuries and are interest in downhill you can only admire this athlete for such dedication.
jewett bros on a testing lap (kinda racing related, right?)
Racing related: first footage I've seen of Goldstone in a while, I know it's a play lap, but my god the kid can just do anything at anytime. One of the sickest follow cams I've seen!
After picking up a few local Australian sponsors Dean Lucas signed up for a local DH race as his swan song. Didn’t end up as planned.
Damage
he will live to podcast again
Damn, that's broken and separated. That will be a rough one to recover from.
Saw this on Emmett Hancock's IG, and then checked the site - Canadian Enduro League on hiatus for 2025:
2025 Season Update
After much reflection and despite a winter full of planning for an amazing season, we've decided to hit pause on our events for 2025.
We're endlessly thankful for every rider, family, trail builder, organization, resort, brand, and all the OGs who've been with us since 2016. The support everyone has shown is nothing short of amazing. The spirit of our community is what makes riding truly special, and we're excited to explore some epic trails with you all, our friends and families, this summer.
This is certainly not goodbye, it’s just a little breather to recharge, and realign our gears for the future. Stay tuned for updates in September/October about what's next.
See you on the trails.
The CEL Team
Post a reply to: 2025 Race Talk