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'Monumental' TV deal keeps Six Nations on terrestrial TV
By Neil Fissler
The Six Nations will remain on free-to-air TV until at least 2029 after a new broadcast agreement was struck with ITV and BBC.
Under the terms of the new arrangement, ITV will screen all England games live among the 10 matches to which it has secured the rights, with the BBC showing the remaining five.
The deal comes following reported interest in the Championship from TNT Sports which could have seen the competition go behind a paywall for the first time.
The current agreement that also sees games shared between ITV and BBC expires after Saturday’s climax to the 2025 Six Nations.
“The significance of these new and innovative free-to-air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated,” Six Nations Rugby chief executive Tom Harrison said.
“By strengthening rugby’s relationships with ITV and the BBC, the sport can continue to give as many fans as possible in the UK access to enjoy live coverage of the Six Nations.
“These partnerships allow us to maximise audience reach whilst generating critical revenue for the game, enabling each union and federation to protect and grow the sport in their country in the coming years.”
The current deal, worth around £90 million, sees the BBC hold the rights to all Wales and Scotland home matches and ITV to all those in England, Ireland, France, and Italy.
There had been speculation that the BBC would no longer be able to afford to keep the Six Nations, with their outgoing director of sport Barbara Slater saying in November last year that the rights could be beyond their means.
“We need a well-funded BBC if we are going to be able to continue to afford sports rights. Sports rights in the UK have more than doubled in the past decade.
“The BBC’s income in real terms has gone down 30%. It is incredibly difficult for the BBC to maintain, across a range of sports, the expectations of those governing bodies,” said Slater.
In 2024, the UK government declined to add the Six Nations to the so-called “crown jewels” list of sporting events, which have to be offered to free-to-air TV channels on “fair and reasonable terms.”
The Irish Independent have reported that RTE and Virgin Media continue to share the rights in Ireland, and the Six Nations have said an announcement on that will be made soon.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “This is a monumental deal for rugby fans and ITV as we ensure the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship stays on free-to-air television.
“We are also proud to be the home of all England matches for the duration of the deal, including England’s much-revered clashes with Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
“The tournament is always one of the sporting highlights of the year, so we look forward to continuing to work with Six Nations Rugby and each union and federation moving forward.”
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, added: “This deal is fantastic news for rugby and the BBC, keeping the sport accessible for as many people as possible.
“We are proud to bring the biggest sporting moments to our audiences, and this new deal is the perfect news ahead of our exclusive broadcast coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup this summer. This is an exciting time for rugby, and we are proud to share every thrilling moment with audiences across the UK."
The Women’s Six Nations and U20 Six Nations will also be included in the package.
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