Tour de France Family's $640 Million Fortune The Business of Cycling

10 Jun, 2024

Tour de France Family's $640 Million Fortune The Business of Cycling

Welcome to the Business of Sports newsletter. This week’s edition features a deep dive into the Tour de France and an interview with Arsène Wenger. For some Friday inspiration, learn about Saurabh Netravalkar, who balances a career as a software engineer at Oracle with helping the US cricket team beat Pakistan at the T20 World Cup.

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Hi, it’s Irene. There’s a lot of sport this summer, including the Tour de France squeezed between Euro 2024 and the Olympics. Last year’s thrilling race saw Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar battling it out, creating more viewer interest and revenue opportunities.

Founded in 1944 by Emilien Amaury and inherited by his son Philippe, the Tour de France remains controlled by Philippe’s widow Marie-Odile Amaury. Groupe Amaury, the family firm, earned €588 million ($640 million) last year, with Amaury Sport Organization’s control of the Tour de France accounting for 53% of that revenue.

The Tour de France drew 42.5 million viewers on France Télévisions in 2023, highlighting its popularity. Netflix commissioned another series of Tour de France: Unchained, and Warner Bros. Discovery reported a 12% increase in streaming figures. This year, the race will finish in Nice instead of Paris due to the Olympics.

ICYMI, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced plans for expansion after new TV rights deals. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is buying Royal Mail and owns Sparta Prague. Jeffrey Lurie is exploring selling a minority stake in the Philadelphia Eagles.

Arsène Wenger expressed concerns about football clubs as investments and criticized multiclub ownership models at the Berlin SuperReturn conference. He discussed issues like player asset management and the challenges facing clubs like Strasbourg under new ownership.

We’ve covered the multiclub model extensively. Some, like City Football Group, thrive, while others, like 777 Partners, face uncertainties. John Textor of Eagle Football Group recently withdrew from talks to buy Everton FC.

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