Details of UCI-Discovery partnership emerging for new-look World Cup

Many fans of World Cup mountain biking were surprised when, earlier this spring, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced that Red Bull would no longer be broadcasting the downhill and cross country series.

Red Bull has provided free, live broadcasts of World Cup mountain biking for a decade now. While it hasn’t been perfect, the issues have mostly been minor. More importantly, Red Bull’s massively expanded the audience and viewership for the XC and DH racing.

That success, and the announcement that the broadcast rights would be changing hands for 2023, left many fans wondering what next season would look like.

Now, the UCI has offered the first hints of what the 2023 World Cup mountain bike series will look like.

Where to from here? What will 2023 look like?

First, Warner Bro.’s Discovery (WBD), or their event promotion wing Discover Sports Events, will be partnering with the current organizers of the Enduro World Series (Enduro Sports Organization).

According to a press release on the EWS website, the new partnership has big plans. That includes a “new vision for the sport will provide more uniform platform for mountain bike’s different formats for the first time.”

Since cross country and downhill are already broadcast on the same network, under the same name, and often at the same venue, it seems likely that UCI-Discovery-EWS might make some move to combine DH, XC and enduro races into the same weekend. Given that the press release came with a photo collage of all three disciplines together, this is more than a slight possibility.

The model given by both the UCI and EWS is Discovery’s success in launching the Track Champions League in 2021. The difference being, of course, that track cycling is a discipline with a much narrower and geographically centralized fanbase. Mountain biking is already a popular, rapidly growing and relatively international sport.

One possibility following this model is the creation of a new, additional series. Track Champions League didn’t replace the UCI-organized Nations Cup events. Instead, it’s an invite-only series in addition to the Nations League calendar. Discovery-UCI-EWS could create a similar “Champions League” style series for mountain biking, where only the top athletes in each discipline are invited to attend.

Will the live broadcast still be free?

For many fans, the first question was whether or not the World Cup broadcast would remain free. It is one of the last remaining free-to-watch disciplines in cycling.

Looking at the organizations taking over the World Cup, this is unlikely. But it’s not necessarily bad news.

Warner Bro’s-Discovery portfolio includes Eurosport, GCN, GMBN, discovery+ and more, in cycling alone. These networks host over 200 events across road, track, BMX, cyclocross and mountain biking. While yes, most of these are paid-access broadcasts, they do have a far wider reach than Red Bull. Specifically, they offer traditional TV and Cable broadcast options alongside online broadcasts.

In WBD’s words, this means “owned capability to bring the UCI World Cup to scaled audiences and reach millions of people globally through its platforms.” This reach will be “supported by an established in-house media agency to maximize distribution through partner broadcasters on a territory-by-territory basis.”

The UCI-Discovery partnership is contracted to run for eight years, from 2023 to 2030.

Chris Ball, CEO, ESO Sports:

“The next eight years will see a new era for mountain bike racing and events and we’re proud and excited to take the lead for the sport with the UCI from 2023. This is an incredible opportunity to further mountain biking’s development, with the power of one of the world’s largest media companies and producers of live sport behind us. For the first time, all mountain bike formats will have a central point of leadership that can amplify the sport 365 days a year, champion the athletes, support the growth of the teams and elevate the sport around the world.

“Building on the brilliant work done within Cross-Country, Downhill, Enduro and E-MTB in recent years, we will begin this incredible long-term project by working with riders, teams and destinations to bring the mountain bike community together at festival-style events celebrating the entire discipline. We will elevate mountain biking alongside the biggest sports in the world and within the home of cycling. Over the coming years we will improve this cycling discipline’s environmental credentials, push forward course design, innovate safety standards, and give fans an entirely new experience, whilst making mountain bike more accessible than ever before.”

UCI Press Release:

An eight-year partnership signed between the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery will see the emergence of a new-look UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023.

Under the partnership, two of Warner Bros. Discovery’s specialist organizations, Discovery Sport Events and Enduro Sports Organisation (owner and operator of the Enduro World Series) will join forces to deliver the organization, media production and broadcast as well as the promotion and commercialization of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

Building on mountain biking’s popularity and increasing audience over the past decade, the new approach will bring innovation to the on-site and on-screen fan experience in order to continue growing the fanbase and improve the global footprint of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

The partnership between the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery for mountain bike covers the period 2023 to 2030. The agreement concludes a period of exclusive negotiations after an extensive competitive tender process.

David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “I am elated by our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, which will take our UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the next level. Discovery Sports Events has already worked wonders with track cycling – thanks to the innovative UCI Track Champions League – and I know that the exciting discipline of mountain bike will also benefit from their expertise, their in-depth understanding of the expectations of athletes and fans, and the increased exposure that this partnership will bring. Mountain bike will get the impetus it deserves as we work together for the future of this vast and varied discipline.”

Further details about the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be announced shortly.