Record MTB World Cup viewership in 2024
UCI announces Continental Series dates
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series saw record-breaking TV viewership during the 2024 season, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. The broadcaster says that World Cup races received an average of 500,000 more viewers per round than in 2023.
Over 20 TV and streaming channels broadcast 2,100 hours of mountain bike racing across the globe, leading to 29 million hours of consumed content, according to Warner Bros.
The World Cup series also saw growth on social media platforms. The official social media accounts brought in 230 million impressions, 23% more than last year. Video content received a total of 162 million views, up 133% from 2023.
The World Cup events also saw a total of 365,500 fans attend races in person.
Increased viewership comes at a time when Warner Bros. is attempting to grow the sport of mountain bike racing. Reforms are being implemented this year, many of which are designed to make World Cup racing more competitive in order to appeal to a larger audience. Read more about the changes below.
MTB World Cup announces 2025 changes
The UCI mountain bike world cup series is set to undergo the most significant structural changes since the series was created in 1991. Starting in 2025, there will be an updated team structure for the World Cup, a new downhill qualification system, and career numbers for riders.
One new development is the creation of multiple Continental Series by the UCI, created as a pathway for a riders to earn points to betterand qualify for the World Cup. The UCI says there will be series in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, with Asia and Africa evidently missing out.
According to Pinkbike, here’s the initital calendar of events for all three series, which include both XC and DH events.
Oceania
January 11: Dunedin (NZ) - XCO
Janaury 19: Coronet Peak (NZ) - DH
February 14-16: Christchurch (NZ) - DH
March 1: Canberra (AUS) - XCO
March 2: Canberra (AUS) - XCO & DH
March 5-9: Rotorua (NZ) - DH
May 21-25: Cairns (AUS) - DH
Americas
January 31-February 2: Valdivia (CHI) - XC
February 15-16: Cartago (CRC) - DH
February 19: Salinas (PUR) - XC
April 5-6: Zirconia (USA) - DH
May 2-4: Congonhas (BRA) - XC
June 11-13: Canmore (CAN) - XC
June 27-29: Midway (USA) - XC
July 26-27: Santiago De Los Caballeros (DOM) - XC
August 2-3: Silver Star (CAN) - DH
August 15-17: Manizales (COL) - XC
October 16-19: Lima (PER) - DH
November 27-30: Temuco (CHI) - DH
Europe
February 22-23: Banyoles (ESP) - XC
March 23: Rivera (SUI) - XC
April 5-6: Santiago De Besteiros (POR) - DH
May 10-11: Haiming (AUT) - XC
June 28: Cheile Gradistei (ROU) - XC
August 22-24: Les Menuires - La Croisette (FRA) - XC & DH