Sky is Europe’s leading entertainment company and is famous for televising the world’s greatest sporting events.

In 2008 Sky took the unprecedented step of sponsoring not just a team; or even a sporting event; but a nation’s entire sport. CYCLING. They wanted people to fall in love with a sport that was largely ignored across the country and importantly to make cycling accessible to everyone, which would build favorability towards their brand. Cycling is a true embodiment of Sky’s ethos ‘Believe in Better’.

Sky had no plans to broadcast cycling but instead focused on making a real difference in a way that nobody else could. They set a target with British Cycling of getting 1 million more Brits cycling more regularly and with the professional cycling team they founded, Team Sky, to win the Tour de France ‘clean’ with a British rider.

For the past 6 years, Sky have run ‘Sky Ride’ events across British cities: big, celebratory cycling events which take over a town or city centre so lots of cyclists of all ages and abilities can ride safely together on traffic-free routes. With a real festival atmosphere, they're a fun, free day out for families and friends to enjoy, with loads to do both on and off a bike.

Sky have promoted and supported both British Cycling, Sky Ride and Team Sky through both local and national marketing activity, driving huge levels of awareness, and to date, have got over 1,600,000 additional regular cyclists on Britain’s streets.

In 2008 Sky entered into a long-term partnership with British Cycling – the UK’s governing body for the sport. Starting in London and spreading across the UK, every year Sky close off entire city centres from traffic and hand them to their residents to enjoy on their bikes at their own pace. Since 2009 over 850,000 people have enjoyed these fun days out.

In 2009 Sky founded their professional cycling team, Team Sky, with riders over the years including Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas and Ian Stannard, managed by Sir Dave Brailsford. Its mission statement: “Race to Inspire”.

Team Sky won the Tour de France with a British rider in 2012 and 2013 and cycling went from obscurity in the UK to front-page news, becoming one of the nation’s favourite sports.

The 1 million cyclist target was smashed in 2012 and by 2014 over 1.6 million had taken up cycling, with more people in the UK cycling than playing football – truly changing people’s lives.

In 2014 Team Sky entered 54 races, with an astonishing 65 podium finishes and 25 victories. In the same year 157,731 people took part in Sky Ride events around the UK.