Armchair cyclists across the nation who want to watch coverage on Comcast this year are out of luck.
Comcast does not offer Universal Sports Network, the channel carrying the majority of coverage of the cycling race in Colorado, which started Monday and will finish Sunday in Denver.
State tourism experts say that the loss of Comcast’s more than 22 million U.S. customers viewers isn’t ideal, but it’s not the end of the world. International exposure is more important.
The race brings , including Steamboat Springs, Loveland, Breckenridge and Aspen. It also serves up a taste of the state to viewers around the world, said Nancy Lesley, director of events for the city of Aspen.
“(The race) is a great marketing tool, no matter what, and international exposure is another big part of why we’re extremely impressed with this event,” Lesley said.
“We look at it as a long-term investment,” she added. “Whether someone sees it today, tomorrow or later this week and books travel tomorrow, next year or in five years, our hope is it’s got a really long-term residual effect.”
This is the first time in four years that the Pro Challenge has started .
The field is wide open. whether a foreign competitor will win for the first time in the race’s five-year history.
This possibility is expected to bring even more foreign viewership, which excites the state’s tourism bureau.
“It’s so expensive for us; we can’t afford to advertise internationally,” said Al White, . “The number of countries seeing this race has increased, so what this event gains me is eyes from some 200 international countries who see Colorado and who may never have in the past.”
White, who was not aware that Comcast isn’t carrying the race, said it’s unfortunate that the cable giant’s customers will miss the excitement.
Comcast has more than 800,000 subscribers in Colorado, said company spokeswoman Staci Busby in an e-mail, ranking it as the state’s largest cable company.
The Pro Challenge is a big deal for White’s office, which has invested advertising and marketing dollars in the race for the past five years. That investment is paying off.
“We are seeing a significant increase in international bikers that are coming to Colorado because of what they’ve seen, because of this race,” he said.
Universal Sports Network is available in Colorado on Dish Network, DirecTV and CenturyLink and nationally on providers including Google Fiber, Time Warner, Verizon FiOS and Cox Cable.
NBC will air coverage of the race’s final leg on Sunday, a 68-mile stretch from Golden to Denver that includes the grueling ascent of Lookout Mountain.
Fans also can monitor the race with the Pro Challenge Tour Tracker at .
Laura Keeney: 303-954-1337, lkeeney@denverpost.com or twitter.com/LauraKeeney
