Tour de France

Doubling down on digital to bring fans closer to the race

Working with Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O) over the years, our goal has always been to create a great experience for every type of fan. This year, the challenge to bring people closer to the race has a new dimension.

Creating amazing experiences for every fan, everywhere

Which fan are you? Whether you’re here for the scenery, the stats or the sport, data can make the Tour de France an even more enjoyable viewing experience.

The future of fan engagement

Looking at where we are now, just about every sporting code is adjusting to managing a sporting event in a physical location while most of the fan experience takes place in a remote, virtual one. We’ve seen some incredible innovation in this area, from enabling virtual editions of events such as Le Mans and the Tour de France to having virtual crowds at football matches. Technology has played a huge role in this and will continue to do so.

Jason Goodall | Global CEO, NTT Ltd. Respond. Recover. Thrive.

Ready to bring a digital experience to the Tour de France like never before.

1903

First race reports in L'equipe

1936

First wireless radio transmission

1938

First live TV transmission

1960

First cameras on motorbikes

1985

First TV inlays

1995

Enters digital era with first official website

1999

First live trackers fitted to bikes

2007

Hired community manager for social media

2009

First mobile application

2011

First advertising caravan geolocation

2014

First action cams on riders

2015

Success with live tracking and data publishing

2017

Machine learning introduced to cycling

2018

Trial of artificial intelligence

From 2014 - 2018:

App downloads increased

36 %

Social media fans grew

159 %

Video views up

1067 %

Website visits up

37 %

Driving deeper data insights

The digital environment has changed the way the Tour de France is delivered in two key ways: changing the fan experience by creating new channels and ways of engaging, and being able to run our operations as a distributed, virtual team for the first time.

Peter Gray | Senior Vice President, Advance Technology Group: Sport, NTT Ltd. From wherever we are to wherever the fan is

Creating the Virtual Zone Technique

The Zone Technique is the technology environment that supports everything NTT Ltd. does at the Tour de France, from gathering and analysing live-tracking data to creating data visualizations and stories that are published on various platforms and as part of the live broadcast.

Planning for the unxepected

Remote execution has given us the opportunity to bring together a lot of services that weren’t together before – video streams from the end of the race, data monitoring, and an observability platform that allows the team to view everything through one portal, for example.

Bringing the fan experience to you, from wherever we are to wherever you are

Unlocking great stories

On the broadcast

At the event

Through apps and social

Keeping the Tour de France dream alive

An exclusive behind the scenes conversation with Yann Le Moenner (CEO, Amaury Sport Organization) and the NTT Advanced Technology Group for Sport, where they discuss and share insights into the challenges and solutions that come with rescheduling the world’s biggest annual sporting event – ensuring a revolutionary fan experience for all.

Changing the game

Sport has the power to unite us, build friendships, solidarity, and make us better. Together, we’re fostering innovation with our partners in sport and we have a globally connected team prepared with agile and scalable solutions to deliver for our clients.

Watch the video

Transforming the business of pro cycling

There’s an urgency now to change our world for the better, to create a blueprint for a way of living that has less impact on the planet and creates a more sustainable future for everyone. In the midst of increasing concerns about the role of technology in our lives, we see the ways technology can make our lives better.

Ruth Rowan | CMO, NTT Ltd. Preparing for the new normal in sport

Revolutionizing the fan experience of the Tour de France

The use of data has changed the viewing experience of pro cycling forever. The group responsible for the Tour de France, the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), has been at the forefront of this revolution, innovating with data and technology to make each aspect of their race exciting for every fan. They recognize that fans have changing expectations in our current, digital world. We all expect to be able to consume content through multiple channels and to enjoy rich digital experiences. This year, because of the pandemic, our entire support operation will be working completely remotely, across five different countries, to deliver a revolutionary fan experience.

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