Australian viewers will get free-to-air access to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift through to at least 2030, with broadcaster SBS announcing that they have extended their initial four year deal for the women's race for another five years.
It brings the agreement into line with that of the men's Tour, with a deal penned in 2020 to seal the broadcast rights of that event through to the end of the decade, and SBS have also extended its agreement to broadcast La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es to 2030 as well.
"We always believed the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift would resonate with our audience, and we’re proud to have supported its growth over the past four years," SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp.
"The way it’s tracking, it’s clear the Tour has enormous potential and is on course for lasting, meaningful success. We’re excited to continue bringing women’s cycling to an appreciative and growing audience.”
Viewer numbers increased significantly in 2025, with over 100 million hours of the 2025 Tour de Frances Femmes watched across 50 European countries – which the release said was an 89% increase year on year – and almost 26 million French viewers for a 42% increase year on year. SBS achieved a Total TV Reach of 1.8 million for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes in Australia, and grew third-party platform views to 11.7 million, a 99% increase year on year.
The increase in viewers came in what was a suspense filled edition of the race, with a long list of favourites – including Australia's Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) – still in contention right up to the second-last stage of racing in the nine day event. The fourth edition of the rebooted version of the women's Tour de France was won by returning road rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike).
As many cycling viewers around the world are struggling with increasing subscription prices the agreement the public broadcaster has struck provides a welcome degree of certainty that access to at least two of the women's Grand Tours, along with the men's, will remain free for Australian viewers for at least the next five editions.
SBS also had the rights to the men's Giro d'Italia locked in through to this year, though didn't show the women's edition, but has yet to announce a new agreement for broadcast of the Italian Grand Tour.
