![\"Do](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CORVOS_00038053-093.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Tour de France<\/a><\/p>\n No. But Nielsen data give us a peek into how many of you watch which races.<\/p>\n Figures about cycling\u2019s popularity are frequently bandied about, particularly in the run-up to and during Tour de France. You\u2019ll very likely hear someone tell you in the coming weeks that 3.5 billion people across the world \u2013 almost one in two \u2013 will watch at least some of the world\u2019s biggest bike race. Spoiler: it\u2019s a lie.<\/p>\n Richard Plugge, the manager of Visma-Lease a Bike, claimed in January that \u201cyou need to make sure cycling stays one of the top-five sports in the world\u201d, while GWI, a market research company, reports<\/a> that cycling is the eighth-most followed sport in the world. Who is right, if either? The answer is nuanced \u2013 it depends on each individual country.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the stats folks at Guinness World Records \u2013 who themselves promote <\/a>that 3.5 billion figure \u2013 declared over a decade ago that the Tour de France is the most-attended sporting event on the planet, with over 12 million annual spectators<\/a>. If young French darling Paul Seixas mounts the yellow jersey challenge his hype train is sure he will, then that figure will double or triple. Heck, it might even quadruple.<\/p>\n But how many people actually watch professional cycling? You know, not just the Tour or the Giro d\u2019Italia or Paris-Roubaix, but the smaller races: the Tours of Guangxi and Poland of this world, or the Trofeo Alfredo Binda or Copenhagen Sprint?<\/p>\n To answer that question, Escape Collective has obtained extensive reports from Neilsen<\/a>, a worldwide data and analytics firm that monitors and measures media audiences. The American company is its industry\u2019s gold standard, and most WorldTour cycling teams employ its services at the end of every season to compile a report that assesses brand exposure and media value of the teams themselves and their associated sponsors.<\/p>\n Nielsen pulls together their figures by combining the total number of viewers (of one continuous minute or more) of live, delayed and highlights coverage, as well as news segments and TV magazine shows (think of Eurosport\u2019s Breakaway).<\/p>\n The results from the 2025 season are broadly in line with what you\u2019d expect: the men\u2019s Tour de France is by far and away the most popular event \u2013 though that 3.5 billion figure seems quite a bit out. And Strade Bianche is officially competing with \u2013 and beating some \u2013 of the five Monuments for overall viewership figures.\u00a0<\/p>\n But there are some surprises: The so-called \u2018Big-7\u2019 stage races in the men\u2019s WorldTour are not the big-seven when it comes to audience interest, and, perhaps surprisingly, the Simac Ladies Tour is comfortably the most-watched stage race in the women\u2019s calendar outside of the three Grand Tours.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get into the figures.<\/p>\n Eyeballs on the men’s peloton<\/p>\n This post is for subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CMB-mug-shot-aspect-ratio-99-99-150x150.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Subscribe now<\/a><\/p>\n
\n \ud83d\udc4eNope\n <\/p>\n