GoPro is in talks with pro cycling teams about mounting cameras to racers’ bikes during the Tour De France, . Isabel Pakowski, a spokesperson for GoPro in Munich, confirmed the discussions but did not give Bloomberg details on the teams involved or potential terms.
During the 2014 Tour de France, seven teams had Shimano cameras on bikes during some stages of the race and , and a small number of riders had Shimano cameras on their bikes at this year’s Tour of California. NBC Sports broadcast edited footage during its evening coverage of the race.
As Bloomberg reports, pro cycling teams, which don’t get a share of television rights at their events, are looking to open a new source of revenue with the action-cam footage.
“The economics of cycling are very challenging at the moment,” Brian Cookson, president of the UCI, was quoted as saying. “Everyone sees the commercial opportunities [of video cameras].”
GoPro cameras have been known mostly for their use in action sports like surfing, whitewater kayaking, and downhill mountain biking, but the company is looking to broaden its appeal. In the cycling world, it faces competition from Shimano, which has relationships with many pro teams, as well as Garmin, which makes the Virb camera and is the title sponsor of the Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling team.