Is Mountain Biking on the decline? The debate the World Cup can no longer avoid

The latest video published by Ibon Zugasti after his participation in the World Cup in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) brings back a conversation that has been growing for months among fans, teams, and even people linked to the paddock: is competitive mountain biking losing its appeal? The question does not have a simple answer, but there are a series of signs that invite analysis of where the sport is heading since the World Cup radically changed its model in 2023.

From a free and growing MTB World Cup to a paid model

Until 2022, the mountain bike World Cup was broadcast for free through Red Bull TV, a model that for years allowed fans to follow the races from practically anywhere in the world without the need for a subscription. In addition to the quality of the broadcasts, the UCI publicly defended that the championship was continuously growing in audience.

A good example is the statement published in 2018, when the international body announced the renewal of the agreement with Red Bull Media House. In it, the UCI stated that "audiences had experienced significant growth over the past years", an argument it used to justify the continuation of the alliance. Not only that. The organization also provided some figures that give an idea of the reach the competition had achieved at that time: the broadcasts reached 103 countries, were distributed by 45 television channels, accumulated a television audience of 66 million viewers, and, in addition, the audience of Red Bull TV had increased by 50% compared to the previous season.

These figures are particularly relevant because they constitute one of the last public and comparable references from the Red Bull era before the model change. 

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The change that transformed the World Cup

Everything changed in June 2022, when the UCI announced an eight-year agreement with Discovery Sports, which was later integrated into Warner Bros. Discovery, to take charge of the organization and exploitation of the World Cup from 2023 to 2030. This was not just a change of television operator. Warner began to control practically all commercial exploitation of the championship, from the production and distribution of broadcasts to marketing, sponsor search, calendar development, and circuit organization.

The UCI presented the agreement as the beginning of "a new era" for mountain biking. The goal was to further professionalize the championship, increase its international reach, and create a more attractive product for fans, sponsors, and media.

And there is one aspect in which it is difficult to contradict that approach. The World Cup has made a significant leap in production quality. The broadcasts are now more complete and spectacular than ever, with impeccable production, much more careful coverage before and after each race, and a staging that places mountain biking on par with other major international competitions. This is complemented by the incorporation of more elaborate graphics, technical analyses, interviews, exclusive content, and additional programming that significantly enriches the viewer's experience.

However, this evident improvement in the television product has been accompanied by a much deeper change: the shift from a free access model to one primarily based on paid platforms. It is precisely here that the current debate arises. Because, although the quality of the broadcasts is objectively superior, it remains unknown whether this better product is reaching more fans or, on the contrary, fewer people than during the Red Bull TV era.

How many people watch the World Cup

Since the arrival of Warner Bros. Discovery in 2023, the company periodically communicates that the audience continues to grow compared to the previous year, but no longer publishes a direct comparison with the data obtained during the era when the World Cup could be followed for free.

That is to say, we know that Warner improves its own records year after year, but we do not know if those records are greater or lesser than those of the World Cup when the broadcasts were free.

The difference is not minor. Without that comparison, it is impossible to assess whether the new model has truly managed to expand the reach of mountain biking or simply increase the championship's revenues.

The experience of other sports invites caution

Mountain biking would not be an exception if it has lost audience after moving to a paid model. The precedents are numerous.

The Formula 1 experienced a significant reduction in viewers after progressively leaving free television in many countries. Liberty Media has always defended that strategy because the increase in revenue from audiovisual rights compensates for the loss of reach.

In Spain, something similar happened with MotoGP. The races that for years gathered several million viewers on Telecinco were broadcast exclusively on paid platforms. When some Grand Prix returned temporarily to TVE, audiences again exceeded one million viewers.

Various studies have also analyzed this phenomenon. A report prepared by Ampere Analysis for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) concludes that when a sport moves from free television to pay television its reach can be reduced by around 68%, even though revenues from audiovisual rights increase significantly.

More revenue... for whom?

This model is often justified because the higher revenues obtained from the sale of rights should translate into a stronger championship. However, new costs have also emerged in mountain biking.

One of the most controversial changes was the creation of a 40,000 euro registration fee for teams to access UCI Mountain Bike Team status, in addition to a new classification system.

Additionally, there is a much more international calendar, with a greater number of intercontinental trips that significantly increase the logistical budgets of the teams.

The symptoms are starting to accumulate

It is impossible to attribute a single cause to the current situation of mountain biking, but the symptoms are beginning to multiply. 

In just two seasons, historic structures have disappeared. First was the closure of the Lapierre team, a structure with more than 25 years in competition, and just a few days ago, the end of Cannondale Factory Racing was also announced at the end of the 2026 season.

Furthermore, according to information obtained by Brújula Bike from industry sources, another of the major structures in the paddock, backed by one of the most important brands in the industry, will also disappear by 2027. 

The atmosphere on the circuits is also changing

Those who have been following the World Cup on the ground for years perceive another difference. In many venues, the atmosphere that was experienced a few years ago seems harder to find today.

There are no official attendance statistics to quantify this evolution, but the feeling is visible to regular fans at the circuits. Various factors could contribute to this, such as the increase in the price of certain services or tickets that the venues pass on due to the higher cost that, according to industry sources, they must now bear to be part of the official calendar.

So... is mountain biking being harmed?

To answer affirmatively would be bold, especially if it implies blaming a few. What does seem evident is that competitive mountain biking is going through a transitional moment where there are more questions than answers.

We do not know the actual audiences of Warner compared to the Red Bull era. There are no public attendance figures at the circuits. And we also do not know if the loss of visibility could end up affecting the general interest in the competition.

What we do know is that mountain biking remains the category that sells the most bicycles in Spain.

According to data from AMBE, in 2025, 486,767 mountain bikes were sold, representing 50.8% of the economic value of all bicycles sold in the country, far ahead of road bikes (29%).

This data shows that mountain biking continues to be the dominant category for those buying a bicycle. However, this commercial strength contrasts with an increasingly widespread perception that the competition has lost some of the visibility and following it had during previous years.