The start of the 2026 Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria marked a significant milestone for Eurosport and HBO Max, achieving record-breaking results across Europe and placing Bulgaria in the global sports spotlight. This edition of the Giro was historic for Bulgaria, as the country hosted the first three stages of the prestigious cycling event for the first time.

The initial three stages of the Giro d'Italia saw impressive growth in viewership and engagement across Europe. Eurosport reported double-digit increases in television viewership in key markets such as France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Poland. Positive results were also observed in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

In Bulgaria, the average viewership for the start of the Giro increased by a staggering 143% compared to 2025, and for the first time, surpassed Romania's viewership by 42%, an achievement given Romania's larger market. Over a million users across Europe visited Eurosport's digital platforms from May 8 to 10 to follow Giro-related content.

The streaming audience for the Giro d'Italia on HBO Max in Europe grew by 24% compared to the same period in 2025. HBO Max noted growth in all primary metrics, including viewing accounts, unique viewers, and total viewing hours.

Eurosport and HBO Max provided comprehensive coverage of the Giro d'Italia for the Bulgarian audience, with a total of 107 hours of live content expected to be broadcast on Eurosport 1 and HBO Max until the finale in Rome on May 31. The Bulgarian stages alone included nearly 15 hours of live broadcasts, multiple repeats, and 30-minute studio programs after each stage.

The broadcasts featured high-quality production and commentary from international and Bulgarian experts, offering audiences a full and emotional experience of the historic stages in Bulgaria and continuing to follow the tour across Italy. Bulgaria's hosting received additional recognition through the participation of Simeon Kichukov in Eurosport's pan-European coverage of the Bulgarian stages, marking the first time a Bulgarian commentator worked on the international Giro d'Italia coverage alongside established names like Alberto Contador, Robbie McEwen, and Jens Voigt.

Giro d'Italia 2026 also led to record-breaking results for Eurosport Bulgaria's social media channel. On May 10, the content on Eurosport Bulgaria's Facebook page reached 4.5 million users, the highest result in the platform's history, surpassing even the records set during the Olympic Games. On May 9, it reached 3.9 million users, and on May 8, it reached 2.5 million users. The content related to the Giro in the official profile generated nearly 900,000 interactions, reactions, comments, and shares during the period of May 8-10, setting an absolute record for the platform.

Under the new partnership between the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, Bulgaria receives significant international visibility as a tourism and sports destination. Special 30-second promotional clips for Bulgaria were broadcast during live coverage of the first three stages of the Giro d'Italia on Eurosport in 50 European markets and on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, reaching hundreds of millions of viewers.

The campaign is also supported by digital advertising on Eurosport.com in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, showcasing Bulgaria as an attractive destination for tourism, nature, and an active lifestyle. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe continues to offer the richest cycling content in the world as the official European TV and streaming partner of the Giro d'Italia, with every minute of live coverage from Grand Tours and over 1,000 live cycling broadcasts annually across their channels and platforms.