INTERVIEW
How do you fit an event like the Tour de France into the back-to-school schedule responsible for the channels of the France Télévisions group? The launch postponed to August 29, like the health measures, requires public television to adapt to better broadcast the cycling competition. The sports director of public television Laurent-Eric Le Lay returned to the media system put in place, at the microphone of Philippe Vandel.
The Tour will be broadcast on France 2 and "occasionally on France 3 when the events are very long" affirms Laurent-Eric Le Lay. The usual rocking system therefore does not seem to suffer from the many programs, usually absent from the air in summer, at the time of the Tour. "At France Télévisions, we decided that the Tour de France and Roland-Garros would be broadcast in the same way in September-October as in April-May-June," explains the sports director.
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End of the holidays, audiences on the rise?
In 2019, the competition was attended by 35.4 million French people. Very good figures "I'm waiting for better", announces Laurent-Eric Le Lay. According to him, several factors could allow this outperformance. The French are usually more numerous in front of their post in September than in July. And the curiosity of viewers towards this unprecedented edition could increase these figures, especially as the gatherings along the track will be subject to many constraints.
Another unknown that could benefit France Télévisions: the performance of French cyclists. The better they are, the more French people watch their television. Beginning of response on Saturday August 29 at the start line in Nice, before the arrival of the runners on Sunday September 20 on the Champs-Elysées.