Warner Bros made the Mountain Bike World Cup bigger, but is it better?

Warner Bros. Discovery's inaugural season managing the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has concluded, marked by a significant increase in broadcast reach and production value. While specific viewership numbers are still being collated, the consensus is that WBD successfully amplified the sport's presence across its platforms, including Eurosport and GCN+, bringing mountain biking to a broader, potentially new audience, a key objective of their takeover.

This move by WBD, taking over from the UCI's previous in-house management, was heralded as a paradigm shift for mountain biking, promising professionalisation and mainstream appeal akin to road cycling's Grand Tours. However, the enhanced broadcast hasn't universally translated into improved health for the sport's grassroots or athlete welfare, with concerns raised about accessibility for smaller teams, event location choices, and the overall financial sustainability for many participants despite the increased exposure.

Ultimately, WBD has proven it can make mountain biking *bigger* on screen. Whether that translates to a *better*, more sustainable ecosystem for the sport itself remains a question for the balance sheet, not just the highlight reel.