British Cycling to charge for National Championships livestream as coverage strategy shifts
British Cycling’s decision to place the National Cyclo-cross Championships behind a paywall marks a first for a British national title - and highlights a broader shift in how domestic racing is covered, funded and valued.
British Cycling has confirmed that this weekend’s Lloyds National Cyclo-cross Championships in South Shields will be live streamed behind a paywall, marking the first time viewers have been charged to watch a British national championships.
Access to the coverage will be provided via a £2.99 subscription on British Cycling’s YouTube channel, as part of what the federation describes as a pilot initiative. The stream, produced by Monument Cycling, will cover the elite, under-23 and junior races on Sunday 11 January, supported by highlights and behind-the-scenes content across British Cycling’s social media platforms.
The move represents a clear change from recent years. Previous editions of the National Cyclo-cross Championships have been broadcast free to view. In 2023, the event was streamed live on British Cycling’s YouTube channel as well as GCN+ and Discovery, while the 2024 Championships received broader exposure through live coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Sport app and BBC iPlayer, alongside British Cycling’s own channels.
British Cycling says the introduction of a subscription model forms part of a wider rethink of how domestic racing is covered and funded, with the aim of improving production quality and building more sustainable coverage models.
Xan Crees (Spectra Racing p/b DAS) celebrates winning the 2025 Cyclo-cross National Championship. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
However, the decision comes amid a broader evolution in the federation’s approach to cyclo-cross media output. Coverage of the National Cyclo-cross Trophy has become noticeably lighter in recent seasons. During the current 2025–26 campaign, British Cycling has not provided live updates from Trophy rounds, in contrast to previous years. The last standalone preview of a National Trophy round published on British Cycling’s website dates back to 2021, while race reports are now typically incorporated into general “National Series round-ups” rather than treated as individual features.
Photographic coverage has also reduced, with British Cycling no longer routinely funding photographers at many Trophy rounds – only one round has been covered in 2025-26 – a shift from earlier seasons when professional imagery formed a consistent part of the series’ presentation.
On the racing side, the Championships themselves remain a focal point of the domestic calendar. The men’s race is expected to feature a head-to-head between series leader Thomas Mein and World Cup regular Cameron Mason, while the women’s contest sees series winner Ffion Drake face reigning champion Xan Crees. Under-23 and junior titles will also be decided.
Speaking in the announcement, British Cycling’s Sport and Participation Director Amy Gardner said the livestream forms part of a “dynamic new approach to domestic sports coverage” designed to inspire new fans and deepen engagement with existing audiences, while investing in high-quality championship racing.
Whether the £2.99 paywall becomes a one-off experiment or the start of a longer-term shift remains to be seen. For now, the South Shields Championships will act as a test case – not just of production quality or subscriber uptake, but of how domestic cycling balances accessibility, sustainability and visibility at its highest-profile national events.
British Cycling has confirmed that this weekend’s Lloyds National Cyclo-cross Championships in South Shields will be live streamed behind a paywall, marking the first time viewers have been charged to watch a British national championships.
Access to the coverage will be provided via a £2.99 subscription on British Cycling’s YouTube channel, as part of what the federation describes as a pilot initiative. The stream, produced by Monument Cycling, will cover the elite, under-23 and junior races on Sunday 11 January, supported by highlights and behind-the-scenes content across British Cycling’s social media platforms.
The move represents a clear change from recent years. Previous editions of the National Cyclo-cross Championships have been broadcast free to view. In 2023, the event was streamed live on British Cycling’s YouTube channel as well as GCN+ and Discovery, while the 2024 Championships received broader exposure through live coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Sport app and BBC iPlayer, alongside British Cycling’s own channels.
British Cycling says the introduction of a subscription model forms part of a wider rethink of how domestic racing is covered and funded, with the aim of improving production quality and building more sustainable coverage models.
However, the decision comes amid a broader evolution in the federation’s approach to cyclo-cross media output. Coverage of the National Cyclo-cross Trophy has become noticeably lighter in recent seasons. During the current 2025–26 campaign, British Cycling has not provided live updates from Trophy rounds, in contrast to previous years. The last standalone preview of a National Trophy round published on British Cycling’s website dates back to 2021, while race reports are now typically incorporated into general “National Series round-ups” rather than treated as individual features.
Photographic coverage has also reduced, with British Cycling no longer routinely funding photographers at many Trophy rounds – only one round has been covered in 2025-26 – a shift from earlier seasons when professional imagery formed a consistent part of the series’ presentation.
On the racing side, the Championships themselves remain a focal point of the domestic calendar. The men’s race is expected to feature a head-to-head between series leader Thomas Mein and World Cup regular Cameron Mason, while the women’s contest sees series winner Ffion Drake face reigning champion Xan Crees. Under-23 and junior titles will also be decided.
Speaking in the announcement, British Cycling’s Sport and Participation Director Amy Gardner said the livestream forms part of a “dynamic new approach to domestic sports coverage” designed to inspire new fans and deepen engagement with existing audiences, while investing in high-quality championship racing.
Whether the £2.99 paywall becomes a one-off experiment or the start of a longer-term shift remains to be seen. For now, the South Shields Championships will act as a test case – not just of production quality or subscriber uptake, but of how domestic cycling balances accessibility, sustainability and visibility at its highest-profile national events.
Viewers can sign up to the livestream here.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
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