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but don’t get access to the documentaries which to be honest, I didn’t watch.
Theres a plan to move 'some' of the documentaries over to other platforms apparently.
could you post a link to where you get eurosport for that price
I've been subscribing for this price for a few years, just checked and it'll auto renew again next year at £39.99
I’ve been subscribing for this price for a few years, just checked and it’ll auto renew again next year at £39.99
New subscribers can't sign up to Eurosport in the UK any more, only discovery.
Yay! Being rewarded for being a loyal customer for once.
So if I sign up to discovery plus for 6.99 a month can I watch the cyclo cross when I want and where I want plus all the other races pretty much same as before?
New subscribers can’t sign up to Eurosport in the UK any more, only discovery.
This will also happen in mainland Europe some time in the not so distant future. Discovery migrating all their broadcasting content to one central hub makes sense, even if it's not what we'd like as bike racing fans.
So if I sign up to discovery plus for 6.99 a month can I watch the cyclo cross when I want and where I want plus all the other races pretty much same as before?
No (unless they drastically improve following GCN’s closure).
Discovery migrating all their broadcasting content to one central hub makes sense, even if it’s not what we’d like as bike racing fans.<br /><br />
Bike racing fans - Otherwise known as paying customers, who will no doubt walk away if they don’t get the content they want.
I personally cannot see how it makes sense, unless certain broadcast licences expire & it isn’t seen as cost effective to renew.
I still have discovery + as part of my BT TV package, whereas I used to pay for it through Prime, and to say it’s dire is a huge understatement. They dedicate more broadcasting time to indoor climbing than cycling, and their FIS skiing coverage was just awful. The content didn’t even match the programme title last winter. Coupled with only being able to get Eurosport channel through BT’s top tier sport subscription, means for me a step back in time of checking results online or the mags.
While I'm very unhappy about the situation, that screenshot is more a reflection of the poor quality of the search function than the lack of Cyclocross content...
https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/sport/cyclo-cross
Gutted as I only really watch the films!
Googling to try and get a Eurosport subscript this is what I see, pictures below. So my conclusion is that it’s £83.88 up from the £39.99 I’m currently paying.
I’m really quite a annoyed. It’s not just the cost. It’s an interface I’d got use to and worked well
If any one can link to a £39.99 Eurosport deal please post a link
While I’m very unhappy about the situation, that screenshot is more a reflection of the poor quality of the search function than the lack of Cyclocross content…
> https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/sport/cyclo-cross
Does it have full race replays or just shitty highlights?
It is not great that a cycling specific platform is shutting down, however I do not see this as the end of the world.
From what I gathered, all of the flag to line cycling coverage was effectively simulcast on GCN+ and Discovery+ . I watched on GCN+ but I distinctly remember the commentators noting that TV viewers would leave for an ad break whereas GCN+ & Discovery+ viewers would stay for uninterrupted coverage (ie no adverts).
So for me this is win-win, I get the cycling and access to other sports, but don’t get access to the documentaries which to be honest, I didn’t watch.
What a baffling comment. You should have been on Discovery+, it’s the package for you. However your saying the shutting GCN+ is a win. How is removing an option better for anyone? Why do we need to lose GCN+ to get you on your correct package?
How is removing an option better for anyone? Why do we need to lose GCN+ to get you on your correct package?
The reality is that, from a business perspective, it's madness to have three competing platforms showing variations of the same content, all owned by the same parent company (I think all are owned by WBD but feel free to correct me).
The reality, also, is that cycling is a minority sport with barely enough money floating around (outside TdF) and, consequently, whilst TV rights are probably relatively cheap to pick up, the costs associated with broadcasting is high (eg motorcycle outriders and planes to bounce signals around).
So, some sort of consolidation makes sense but the UCI or whoever hands out TV rights will pay the price if a monopoly supplier ends up with all the race coverage.
I wonder how this will play out for team fundings or, even, will this make some races no longer viable? I can only imagine the angst on some female teams who struggle to get any sort of parity with males...
Having said that, only really watched the three Grand Tours and, generally, on ITV4 when available. I did have periodic GCN+ monthly subscriptions for the documentaries only and was looking forward (eventually) to watching Si and Hank tackle the Annapurna Circuit...
Canada, discovery+ subscriber, does not have any cycling content here.
Gcn+ was the only way to watch the dh/xcc/xco and as a bonus the u23 racing for the athlete I support.
Now what?
The reality is that, from a business perspective, it’s madness to have three competing platforms showing variations of the same content, all owned by the same parent company (I think all are owned by WBD but feel free to correct me).
As Eurosport seems to going away it’s down to 2 platforms. I’m not why selling a sub set of the content at a lower price is madness. It can’t envolve much more than tagging some content as GCN and then letting the app pick it up from the server
The reality, also, is that cycling is a minority sport with barely enough money floating around (outside TdF) and, consequently, whilst TV rights are probably relatively cheap to pick up, the costs associated with broadcasting is high (eg motorcycle outriders and planes to bounce signals around).
GCN+ didn’t work like that for road stuff. All they do is pick up a stream from the host broadcaster and add commentary and punditry. Usually the pundits aren’t even in the same country as the race. The only stuff they actually film is the MTB which only started this year.
GCN+ didn’t work like that for road stuff.
I didn't mean to imply GCN+ actually did the race camera work/logistics themselves but "someone" has to pick up the cost of doing so and, presumably, that's built into the price of the TV rights which, someone (including WDB, and ultimately, us as the consumers) picked up the bill for...
If nothing else, the in-studio hosts and guests plus the IT infrastructure to host/support GCN+ (Nevermind the production costs of the documentaries) all add extra cost to the parent company
the trouble is though Discovery isn’t ad free
I don't see adverts when I watch Discovery+. One of the main reasons I took it out rather than watching Eurosport with the constant, and long, ad breaks.
I didn’t mean to imply GCN+ actually did the race camera work/logistics themselves but “someone” has to pick up the cost of doing so and, presumably, that’s built into the price of the TV rights which, someone (including WDB, and ultimately, us as the consumers) picked up the bill for…
If nothing else, the in-studio hosts and guests plus the IT infrastructure to host/support GCN+ (Nevermind the production costs of the documentaries) all add extra cost to the parent company
Ok all fair point. But what’s weird is that documentaries is the only saving. Everything else is on Discovery+ any way and will presumably continue there. It’s just that we’ll be paying more for it. Which presumably what it’s all about really
It’s just that we’ll be paying more for it. Which presumably what it’s all about really
Agreed!
Hopefully (ha!), when all this shakes out in a couple of years time, any cost efficiencies translate into cheaper costs to the consumer and/or more revenue for race organizers (via more valuable TV rights?) and/or more revenue for teams and riders (via better exposure thru a more consolidated audience, for their sponsors?) and these improve the financial health of the sport.
Or "we" can just accept a big wedge of Saudi cash instead....
Canada, discovery+ subscriber, does not have any cycling content here.
Gcn+ was the only way to watch the dh/xcc/xco and as a bonus the u23 racing for the athlete I support.
Now what?
Exactly.
Everyone is (understandably) focused on what this means for viewers in the UK.
Which would be fine if mountain biking in general wasn't going through a massive financial crisis and teams are trying to put together budgets based on GCN+ viewing figures.
Now, in places that aren't the UK, it's gotten a lot more expensive to watch mountain biking and in some places (which, btw, includes Canada and I think the US) there is currently no option to watch mountain biking for next year.
Forget about the UK for a minute and think about what this means for mountain bike racing as a whole.
there is currently no option to watch mountain biking for next year.
But, given that DH and XC coverage rights are owned by Warner, that situation will resolve before next season gets underway. Otherwise whats the point of buying it? As someone said up thread, it makes no sense from their perspective to have 3 channels doing all same thing. (cyclo-cross excepted) there's not much cycling going on right now. The proof will be next season I guess.
But, given that DH and XC coverage rights are owned by Warner, that situation will resolve before next season gets underway.
Team budget responsible: Where will viewers be able to watch our wonderful bikes going down hills?
Team Manager: Well, we don't know yet but we're sure they'll sort something out before April.
Team budget responsible: ...
Yes, probably something will be sorted out. They've got 6 whole months, after all.
Anyway, as I said, I can watch DH next year if I take out a year long Discovery+ subscription for £18 per month (in Norway). I'm not paying that.
Other European countries are going to have their own subscriptions models but it wouldn't surprise me if many people simply tell them to shove it.
Any planned budgets for next year have been blown out of the water.
Variety or choice helps sell more product - cars are cheaper to make if they are all 1 colour option, but look at all the different coloured versions of the same model car on the road...
This does work the same for online coverage of things - you want everyone to use you, but you need to offer everything or have subsets that offer stuff...the subsets will attract more specific followers as can be read on here - the master offering has far too much or can't find what you want, but the subset makes it easier.
It'll be down to cost as there will be multiple amounts of things to set and sort for each subset.
Overall, it sounds like bad news...I don't pay for streaming services as I don't use them enough (the free ones seem to show the rubbish I like) and I avoid watching bike racing as it doesn't interest me and I think if I've time to watch then I've time to do. Saying that a reduction of choice and an increase in cost is definitely a bad decision.
Exactly.
Everyone is (understandably) focused on what this means for viewers in the UK.
Which would be fine if mountain biking in general wasn’t going through a massive financial crisis and teams are trying to put together budgets based on GCN+ viewing figures.
Now, in places that aren’t the UK, it’s gotten a lot more expensive to watch mountain biking and in some places (which, btw, includes Canada and I think the US) there is currently no option to watch mountain biking for next year
Discovery plus not available in New Zealand so not sure how I'm going to watch next season . GCN plus worked pretty well for me and I thought it was reasonably priced so disappointed to see it go , especially without a clear way of watching next season's racing without some form of VPN trickery .
Also miffed and in Canada. We used to have the Eurosport Package but got bored of the VPN shenanigans, so switched to GCN+ and it's been great. Really not many, if any, affordable options here and compared to UK we already pay Bell far too much for our cable and internet package.
This is HUGELY disappointing - and the best example of corporate greed ever by Warner Bros.
So in the UK, instead of a £40 per annum subscription to watch ad-free cycling on-demand, Warner Bros expect us to pay MORE THAN DOUBLE the amount (£6.99/mo = £83.88 p/a) to watch cycling with advertisements? Are you F***ing kidding???? They are on crack.
I'm not subscribing, or succumbing to this sh*t.
GCN+ didn’t work like that for road stuff. All they do is pick up a stream from the host broadcaster and add commentary and punditry.
Is there going to be a market for people commentating over the Belgian language only streams on Youtube?
I ask half in jest, but I finally found the Niels footage from last weekend on Youtube and was delighted it still had the GCN commentary team, I guess in future it would be the Belgian or Dutch commentary which would be a sad loss for those monolinguists amongst us ☹
Warner Bros expect us to pay MORE THAN DOUBLE the amount (£6.99/mo = £83.88 p/a) to watch cycling with advertisements?
I think you can subscribe to the basic discovery plus package at £39.99 to get on-demand cycling. It does carry ads though, which is shit.
Nope - it states that to see cycling you must have the 'Standard' package at £6.99/mo (= £83.88 per annum)
So We've got Virgin which includes Eurosport (and some Discovery channels I think) not sure how the standard telly package compared to Sky but it seems similar.
I had opted for GCN+ specifically because I only wanted a one-off annual sub for a cycling specific service (live and streamable) without ads, and ~£40 a year seemed reasonable.
If I were to pony up for a monthly sub to Discovery+ for twice the price, I'd honestly be a very miffed, the other content isn't what I'm after, I get why they've done it, partly to cut their costs and consolidate channels/brands but maintaining a cycling specific platform/Brand and separate pricing structure does actually make some sense and GCN+ had basically cornered the market for streaming most competitive cycling content that was out there.
As it is I'm not keen to pay an extra ~£85 for Discovery+, I'd rather set the Virgin box to record whatever cycling content is going to be on Eurosport and/or find stuff on YouTube and watch that on the big telly of a Sunday Morning when everyone else is lying in (mostly what I end up doing at present with GCN+ TBF), I can live with a few ad breaks or chopped up highlights instead of full race stages for the Summer Grand tours. Live DH coverage would be nice but I'll live without it.
It's mostly an attempt to make a bonus subscription cash grab by WBD by nudging customers on to Discovery+, and TBF it was utterly predictable when all the deals were being made between them and UCI earlier in the year.
I sincerely hope they fail to get the subscriber figures they forecast and are forced to have a rethink. Making your customers jump through hoops, chop and change subs and services and ultimately pay more is a great way to alienate them and ensure you fail to make the numbers you've promised the shareholders.
Maintaining a platform (that is mostly just a reskinning of your other apps and channels really) where you have an established bunch of paying customers and specific content to serve them can't be that hard these days can it?
A pretty Crappy move IMO.
If having to pay an extra quid a week is a deal breaker for watching cycling the sport has got some seriously challenging times ahead.
Hopefully (ha!), when all this shakes out in a couple of years time, any cost efficiencies translate into cheaper costs to the consumer and/or more revenue for race organizers (via more valuable TV rights?) and/or more revenue for teams and riders (via better exposure thru a more consolidated audience, for their sponsors?) and these improve the financial health of the sport.
I'm not sure which was funnier, the fact you wrote that or the fact that you were serious.
If having to pay an extra quid a week is a deal breaker for watching cycling the sport has got some seriously challenging times ahead.
Yeah apologists have been using that line for years, still a load of shit when you tot it up.
Yes, you're right @Digger90, I missed that, well spotted, at least one of us was paying attention!
Disappointing news, it always struck me as a great deal. I didn’t use it much, the odd film and documentary and the grand tours, but for 40 quid it still seemed like value
no chance I’ll pay double that for less product however. As a point of principle as much as anything. Don’t channel 4 cover all the grand tours live? Or do they just do the highlights of the giro and vuelta? If so I’d probably just take out a subscription to cover those months, which will result in them getting less cash off me than they do just now
Don’t channel 4 cover all the grand tours live?
Channel 4's broadcasting deal is with ASO i believe, so they show the ASO owned TdF and the Vuelta, but not the Giro.
If anybody pays for BT Mobile you might be able to get Discovery plus for free. It replaced the BT Sport app (amongst many others). You just have to activate it in the BT account, or get someone you know who uses BT mobile to do so and give you the password.
Can confirm the search function is useless but it does have all the cycling, watched a full replay of a CX race earlier with no ads.
Yeah apologists have been using that line for years, still a load of shit when you tot it up
You’re right need to think about the less fortunate. Thanks for reminding me to reflect on my privileged.
I’m not sure which was funnier, the fact you wrote that or the fact that you were serious.
I take it you're not familiar what happened to F1 when Liberty Media took over? The F1 teams values ballooned and F1 finally has an "online presence" (which Bernie Ecclestone never permitted). I'm not in the UK so I can now watch F1 live without having to sign up to a cable package (and for a lot less than a Sky subscription would cost, for example).
So, like I said ("hopefully"), it may turn out better in a few years but the current choices in UK and Europe are a lot more palatable that other markets (check out the comments on PB from people in USA, Canada and Aus, for instance)
Channel 4’s broadcasting deal is with ASO i believe
ITV4 used to broadcast TdF, not C4 though I'm not sure whether that changes next year
If having to pay an extra quid a week is a deal breaker for watching cycling the sport has got some seriously challenging times ahead.
It's interesting the number of people looking for a cheaper work around though isn't it?
Perhaps WBD have overestimated the value punters place on access to cycling coverage, personally for me it was about £40 a year, noting all the other entertainment subs our household has and that only one resident is actually bothered about cycling, whereas if Netflix or Disney+ was removed I'd be facing a riot... 🙄
But also WBD have cynically decided to kill off a perfectly good service just so they can extract more money, so **** em, I can live without Discovery+ and still find cycling content, better yet I could just ride my bike more.
WB are increasingly well known for not understanding the markets they serve, cycling ain't football where a Sky sports package is seen by a fair chunk.in the same category as a utility to ensure access to premier league matches...
I take it you’re not familiar what happened to F1 when Liberty Media took over?
Honestly, nope.
That sounds good, dunno who they are but don't sound like folk who would can millions of investment as a tax write-off. That's what we could and should have had but slim chance of that from WBD.
I don't pretend to know the details of F1 financing or professional cycling financing, but I know there's a hell of a lot more money sloshing around in F1, that a lot of cycling teams live season-to-season (if they're lucky) and many "pro cyclists" barely make a living from racing.
Consequently, cycling (outside of the TdF) hardly seems to be in a position to pick and choose which media conglomerate to get into bed with....
For sure, I'm disappointed GCN+ is shutting down (both because I liked some of their output and the business model was appealing) but I also acknowledge that Im part of the problem because I wasn't a full time/full price subscriber.
Perhaps WBD have overestimated the value punters place on access to cycling coverage, personally for me it was about £40 a year, noting all the other entertainment subs our household has and that only one resident is actually bothered about cycling, whereas if Netflix or Disney+ was removed I’d be facing a riot… 🙄
TBH i used to sub in the beginning when it was £19 (I think),I loved the documentaries and the odd evening catch up on the TDF and mostly La vuelta.
I didn’t have enough interest to continue the sub when it was more as I just didn’t watch it enough.
Thinking about it,if gcn had moved from YouTube to it I may have paid more as I like the occasional watch of the road and mtb stuff.
What does this mean for GMBN? I am assuming they're all the same thing.
What does this mean for GMBN? I am assuming they’re all the same thing.
Nothing is happening to the YouTube channels, at least not at the moment - this is just GCN+ and the GCN app services.
WB are increasingly well known for not understanding the markets they serve, cycling ain’t football where a Sky sports package is seen by a fair chunk.in the same category as a utility to ensure access to premier league matches…
I think this is where it all unravels, cycling is a participation sport that has a sideline in viewing, unlike say football which is a viewing sport with a participation sideline. You can't expect the same commercial terms to work and I suspect this will be all redone again for 2025.
For sure, I’m disappointed GCN+ is shutting down (both because I liked some of their output and the business model was appealing) but I also acknowledge that Im part of the problem because I wasn’t a full time/full price subscriber.
I don't see you or customers like you as part of any "problem" at all, people turning monthly Subs on and off is a good indicator of the level a service needs to pitch itself at, Netflix almost definitely have seasonal changes to their subs based on how bored and at home people are, you can dial up/down (screens and quality) or suspend the service on a monthly basis, if it's sunny out are people really worried about having 3 screens of HD brain candy to gawp at?
Cycling coverage is both Seasonal and varies by Niche in terms of when the content is generated and when people will be wanting to watch. Some people will want to watch DH during sunnier months, other will just want the big tours, some just like to watch CX when its a bit grim, others love the spring classics as a bit of a motivator to get out, plenty will want to see it all of course.
WBD should be looking at how people actually use their services, when and what they watch and if they turn Subs on/off or just renew every year.
The offering should try to match the customers perception of Value, not just look to drive you onto a higher tier of spend on a homogeneous platform the attrition rate for that will tactic will probably surprise them.
I think like a lot of others, i subscribed every month and was happy to pay 12 months of the year due to the content.
I came for the grand tour and the Classics racing, but stayed for the more obscure races i liked to have on in background, XC, DH and the documentaries and the weekly race studio shows.
I think if i have to switch to a lot more expensive service, that doesn't have the same people, then i will be a "subscribe just for the road cycling season" type of subscriber, and will cancel for winter, so it is counterproductive to Warner in terms of pricing for me.
It's not being cheap, i would of taken a price rise for GCN+ if they kept up the great work, it's just that i won't pay more for an inferior product
I listened to the latest Lantern Rouge podcast episode where this was discussed. An interesting point they were making was that while GCN+ has been available pretty much globally there are loads of markets where Discovery+ isn't present. There are also huge variations in the Discovery+ price between countries. They commented how this shutdown really has the potential to do a lot of harm to cycling viewing right as the Netflix Tour de France documentary series could have been expected to bring the sport to the attention of loads of new viewers and advertisers/sponsors. It really suggests that Discovery executives don't understand their market, and I think the Formula 1 comparison is interesting in that this move actually appears to represent a sudden and dramatic deterioration in the accessibility of cycling as a mass-market viewing sport.
free for Sky Q, Glass and Stream customers
Without wishing to be snarky, how much does that cost.?? I’m guessing a fair bit more than £35 a year.!
Yes, of course, but I was just putting it up on here in case there are any sky customers on here that were unaware of this.
the trouble is though Discovery isn’t ad free
I don’t see adverts when I watch Discovery+. One of the main reasons I took it out rather than watching Eurosport with the constant, and long, ad breaks.
I'd second the not seeing adverts - as long as you choose the right stream. I have a TNT sports subscription through my mobile provider (EE; not a bad way of getting it cheap if you're prepared to negotiate) and for most of the DH events there were two streams - one with ads and one without.
Just bumping this to repeat a question that was asked, but I'm not sure if anyone answered;
Can you watch full race replays on-demand with Discovery+?
Got my refund through the other day, which was nice
So... are there any alternatives to GCN+ that don't involve bending over and being price-gouged by Warner Bros?<br /><br />Only really watch the races, but want On-Demand.
One positive for Discovery+, the Olympics. BBC is limited in the number of streams they can show, so if you want the full range of events you need Eurosport or Discovery streaming. Realised this for the last Olympics when I was subscribed to Eurosport Player (pre-GCN+).
BBC is limited in the number of streams they can show
They weren't during the London games. They had everything on across loads of temporary channels
That was London - Discovery bought the rights after that, and BBC are limited to two live events at once.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jan/16/bbc-to-keep-olympics-rights-ebu-warner-bros-discovery
Anybody else here still waiting for the refund to materialise?
Mine came through on the 19th December. Did you have a valid payment method set up on your account?
I didn't think it had but mine did actually come through. Weirdly it didn't show up like I'd have expected in my statement as it acted like a refund from July so Barclays had put it back to show at the start of the month for some reason. Try scrolling back further than expected.
I did, it’s been a recurring payment through Apple, was due to renew early Feb so I guess it might come through then.