Warner Bros. Discovery enhances UCI Mountain Bike World Series coverage with drones and data
Tom Pidcock wins the third round of MTB World Cup celebrated in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czech Republic), on May 15, 2022. (Photo by Javier Martínez de la Puente/NurPhoto)
A new era of mountain biking starts this week and Warner Bros. Discovery will be there every step of the way, covering the sport like never before and elevating the UCI Mountain Bike World Series to a whole new level.
For the first time, all six UCI Mountain Bike World Cups have been unified under one calendar bringing together fans of every format. Starting with the Cross-country Short Track, Olympic and Marathon this week in Nové Město na Moravě , Czech Republic (11-14 May) – available to watch on discovery+, GCN+, Eurosport and Eurosport app – Warner Bros. Discovery will present a staggering 139 hours of live coverage, highlights shows and pre- and post-race analysis shows on its linear and digital platforms across Europe in 2023.
GCN+, meanwhile, will also broadcast the series in North America, Latin America and the Oceania region.
Over 20 cameras will be accompanied by state-of-the-art first person view drones at each event venue, ensuring fans don’t miss any of the major moments during each adrenaline-filled race. Cutting-edge biometric data will also be integrated into coverage of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series for the first time, bringing a new dimension to the broadcasting of downhill and cross-country events as part of a partnership with wearable health and fitness coach Whoop.
Scott Young, SVP content and production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, said: “The new revolution in mountain biking is finally upon us and we can’t wait to showcase the adrenaline and skill of these athletes to fans, and those soon to become fans, of this supercharged sport. We’ve been teasing the raft of innovations we will unveil to elevate coverage of the World Series to even greater heights and can’t wait for the action to get underway. That is matched with our commitment to highlight the competitors and tell their story, on and off the track.
“By screening more live events than ever before, including all elite, under 23 and junior races, coupled with extensive race highlights across our channels and streaming platforms, it opens up the sport for even greater exposure and engagement between the fans and athletes and we’re confident we can combine this with our global scale to increase the profile of mountain biking and the stars of the MTB to a whole new audience.”
Kate Mason will be on-site anchoring coverage of each round broadcast on Warner Bros. Discovery platforms for the global (English) feed where she will be joined by on-course reporters Hayley Edmonds and Josh Carlson, who will capture the post-race reaction from the key riders at each venue. Former UCI Mountain Bike World Cup winner Cedric Gracia will offer expert analysis across the downhill events with Bart Brentjens – the first man to win mountain bike Olympic gold – analysing the best of the action for the cross-country races. Ric McLaughlin will be the lead co-commentator for WBD’s global feed (English language).
Ensuring fans are kept-up to date with the latest news and views, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel and social platforms will offer in-depth analysis and interviews with some of the key personalities involved in the sport. Meanwhile, Global Mountain Bike Network’s dedicated race-focused YouTube channel, GMBN Racing, will offer superfans a deeper experience of the format with a dedicated news show, highlights packages, race previews, bike checks and exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the season.
In June last year, Warner Bros. Discovery was appointed to advance the sport of mountain biking as part of an eight-year agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale. It was tasked with deploying its extensive assets and expertise, including WBD Sports events division and ESO Sports, to elevate mountain biking to the next level and reach a global audience.