California-based GoPro, Inc. is in partnership talks with several teams who will be competing at the 2015 Tour de France. Over the past several years, the company has seen incredible growth, with specific focus on extreme sports applications. Now, GoPro plans to expand into the world of competitive cycling by installing their devices on the front of the bikes of competitive cyclists. The goal is to capture incredible point-of-view (POV) footage rarely available on broadcast.
“The UCI is committed to bringing technology and innovation to the broadcast and fan experience of our sport,” said Union Cycliste Internationale’s President, Brian Cookson, in an interview with Velo News.
In a sport where skin tight suits, feather-light bikes, and aerodynamically-shaped helmets are used to gain the slightest of advantages, adding a camera seems counterproductive. Despite this doubt, several teams are very interested in a partnership with GoPro. Cycling’s governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), requires bikes to be at least 6.8 kg or about 15 lbs. Some teams struggle to meet this minimum requirement with all of their weight saving tactics. Weighing in at a mere 83 grams, the camera could actually be beneficial for teams, both competitively and financially.
Sponsorship revenue is extremely important to the sport. Unlike soccer and formula one, teams do not get a portion of revenue generated through television rights. Cyclists, instead, rely heavily on sponsors to keep them racing.
“The economics of cycling are very challenging at the moment,” Cookson told Bloomberg.
“Everyone sees the commercial opportunities” of video cameras.
A partnership with GoPro could help teams get in on media revenue. Several teams see the value of this opportunity and are trying to get ahead of the game. On November 25, 2014, 11 teams gathered to form a group dedicated to enhancing the sport of cycling through technology. Known as Velon, they hope to shape a better economic future for all teams. Two of these 11 are sponsored by the companies Shimano and Garmin, both of which also make on-board video cameras similar to GoPro. Success of these tech partnerships could bring major positive change to the sport of cycling.