Tour de France on S4C

Welsh-language broadcast partner for national rights holder

THE BRIEF

Geraint Thomas’ success in successive Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012 was the catalyst for an upsurge in cycling interest in Wales. That interest was recognised by S4C which secured the rights and appointed Sunset+Vine to produce S4C’s pioneering Welsh language coverage of the Tour de France in 2014. The remit was to inform and entertain through live and highlights coverage from each of the 21 stages of the world’s most prestigious road race.

378
Programmes for S4C
28k
minutes of live cycling
5
broadcast languages
3,349km
Race Distance
21
Stages
176
Riders

THE RESULT

S4C’s ground-breaking minority language Tour de France coverage led to further experimentation with the Giro d’Italia and as a result has elevated the broadcaster to becoming a major cycling European broadcasting stakeholder.

THE HOW

Sunset+Vine immediately identified the fact that this ambitious foray would succeed only if the quality of the production and the chemistry of the presentation team provided coverage that took Welsh viewers on the road alongside the peloton. Individuals with strong cycling knowledge (but relatively new names to broadcasting) were earmarked to work alongside more experienced commentators supported by a behind-the-scenes cast of cycling fanatics.

The team has remained largely unchanged over nine years although Sunset+Vine has identified new and fresh names who we have brought to prominence in Welsh cycling.

Furthermore, (and partly due to Covid restrictions) extensive use of new bonded cellular technologies has enabled our production to be compact, mobile and cost-efficient, allowing us to host our coverage just metres from the finish line of each stage.

Credit Roll

Executive Producer
Cerith Williams

Technical Producers
Tom Copeland
Ieuan Wyn

Presenter/Series Producer
Rhodri Gomer

Producers
Gethin Hughes
Gruff Davies

Cameras
Owen Hughes
Duncan Jermeiah

Partners

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Cerith Williams