UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB is in talks about becoming a part-owner in a new global cycling championship, according to the Bloomberg news agency.
The report said that media conglomerate News Corporation, which owns 40-per-cent of the broadcaster, would also be interested in exploiting the championship’s broadcast rights outside the UK.
The championship would include most of the teams that currently participate in the Tour de France cycling race, with the operator of the series splitting revenues with the teams on a 50-50 basis.
The report added that a Sky executive and lawyer held a meeting with a dozen cycling teams on February 13 in Geneva, Switzerland, and a further meeting was scheduled for today (Friday) in Paris, France.