But GCN announced today that it will shut down GCN+, effective December 19. This is a huge blow for cycling fans and indicates the continuing changes in the outdoor media landscape.
A corporate announcement stated, “GCN+ and the GCN app will be closing on 19 December 2023 in all countries and regions. GCN+ subscribers will receive a refund for the time remaining on their subscription. Cycling fans can continue to enjoy cycling content at globalcyclingnetwork.com and the GCN YouTube channel.”
GCN+ is one of the few platforms that broadcast live racing for U.S. bicycle racing fans. The network’s only directive for stateside subscribers was to await announcements from parent company Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) on where racing might be viewed in the future.
GCN+ launched in 2021 and acquired “hundreds of thousands” of followers, myself included, according to the corporate video announcement below. Not only is it my source of live races, including the Tour de France and the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, but it also provides endless hours of entertainment through 200+ independent films.
The video also states that shutting down the platform was not due to the underperformance of the platform but due to WBD’s global strategy to consolidate more content in fewer places. It also thanks all the talented and hard-working staff members involved and the global subscribers.
Officials ended the video with, “All of GCN, except GCN+ and the GCN App, are absolutely continuing. We will continue to make the best cycling content we can for the GCN community, which has supported us so much over the last decade. We will also continue with the growth of the GCN website, which is going from strength to strength.”
Chapeau! GCN+. Thanks for all the two-wheeled memories, and best wishes to everyone involved. We are all in this together.
