Fronted by ex-professional cyclists Loïc Chetout and Florian Chabbal
21 July 2020 – Bath, UK: The Play Sports Group (PSG) is excited to announce the launch of its twelfth channel, GCN en Français. This dedicated French language channel will see the Global Cycling Network (GCN)’s unique blend of informative and entertaining content created in French and will attract many new French-speaking viewers across the world.
Since 2013, PSG’s channels have reached 2.5 billion views, and currently serve 20 million monthly viewers. GCN en Français is set to once again change the landscape of the cycling media, further expanding GCN’s global offering beyond the existing English (launched 2013), Spanish (2018), Italian (2018), Japanese (2019) and German (2020) channels. GCN en Français will collaborate with PSG’s channels and Eurosport to deliver the best content for French-speaking cycling fans.
Featuring unrivalled and original content that helps and entertains fans – including How-To videos, race footage, unparalleled access to tech and teams – GCN en Français will feature everything that is important in road cycling. Using global resources and unique insight into the world of cycling to create localised, tailored content for the French-speaking community.
The channel will be fronted by retired professional cyclists Loïc Chetout and Florian Chabbal, who together have over a decade of pro cycling and cycling media experience.
Loïc rode professionally for Cofidis, taking top-five stage results in races like the Arctic Race of Norway, the Vuelta a España and the Tour de Yorkshire, as well as one stage victory at the Ronde de l’Isard. He says:
“Cycling allowed me to become the person that I am today, to have a heart, guts, to honour each of my commitments and to constantly exceed my limits. I have lived things that few people will have the opportunity to live and to know…I met some amazing people…what’s more fun and glorifying than learning about life through a passion? I am excited to start a new chapter in my life that still gives me an opportunity to be around the sport I love, sharing my passion and experience but also having a chance to learn.”
After riding for the French National team as a Junior and Under 23, Florian has been heavily involved in the media side of the sport, most recently working as a TV Producer and Reporter for Eurosport. He says:
“I am lucky to have experienced cycling both in front and behind the camera, I am excited to remain in the Eurosport family, the home of cycling. I am looking forward to helping connect with a new audience for GCN and so to keep on sharing my passion for this beautiful sport.”
Simon Wear, Founder and CEO of Play Sports Group, said: “For many years we have had a loyal following for GCN in France, I am delighted that we are now able to serve this growing community properly with a whole channel in French language, a bespoke channel, dedicated to the needs of the French speaking cycling community. We have two fantastic presenters in Loïc and Florian and we are so pleased to welcome them to our company, we are really looking forward to seeing both Loïc and Florian in action, bringing their own special insights, ideas, characters and style to the new channel”.
The launch of GCN en Français follows on from the launch of GCN auf Deutsch and just over one year on from the announcement, in January 2019, that Discovery Inc, owner of Eurosport, had acquired a majority stake in Play Sports Group. A global leader in real-life entertainment, Discovery enjoys an extensive portfolio of brands and direct-to-consumer platforms that power people’s passions and super serve global communities of fans and enthusiasts.
The GCN en Français channel is now live and regularly posting content HERE.
Watch the trailer video HERE