Six Nations Rugby has confirmed a new and enhanced set of free-to-air partnerships, to deliver live coverage of the Six Nations Championships in the UK, from 2026 and through to 2029.
ITV and BBC will share the free to air live coverage of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, offering fans access to rugby’s most prestigious annual Championship across TV and digital platforms.
Both broadcasters have worked with Six Nations Rugby to agree a new and innovative partnership, to deliver coverage that builds on the year-on-year audience growth that the Six Nations is generating.
ITV will show ten fixtures per year over the next four years, including every single England fixture in each edition of the Championship.
The BBC will deliver coverage of five Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixtures per year, including every Scotland and Wales home match, except when each nation is hosting England, when the fixture will be broadcast on ITV.
As a longstanding supporter of women’s rugby, the BBC has also secured the media rights to every fixture of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations in the UK until 2029, with coverage spanning TV and iPlayer.
Similarly, the U20 Six Nations will be available on BBC platforms for the next four years. The BBC will also hold the audio rights for the Men’s, Women’s and U20s Championships, meaning fans will be able to enjoy extensive international rugby coverage across radio, BBC Sounds and online platforms.
Commenting on the confirmation of the new free to air partnerships to broadcast the Six Nations Championships in the UK, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said: “The significance of these new and innovative free to air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated.
“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 increased commitment from the free to air sector is testament to the appeal and status of our iconic Championships. The commercial environment in which rugby is operating is extremely challenging and the battle for audience attention has never been greater, but the Six Nations stands alongside the greatest occasions in world sport, which is reflected by these partnerships.
Going into another incredible conclusion to the Men’s Championship, all parties are incredibly excited to build on this momentum and audience growth, to deliver the best possible experience for fans over the next four years.”
Scottish Rugby CEO, Alex Williamson, said: “Scottish Rugby welcomes ITV Sport and BBC Sport continuing their support of rugby to broadcast the Guinness Six Nations through to 2030. The investment and commitment of both companies will enable everyone in Scotland to enjoy our largest tournament, which in turn helps to grow and showcase our sport.
“Rugby can’t be complacent and must use the next four years wisely to mature our engagement with younger audiences and build better digital models to remain relevant and accessible to all fans in the future.”
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, said: “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.”
Further media rights partnerships will be announced in due course, including coverage in France, Italy, Ireland, the provision of Welsh language coverage, and worldwide distribution of the Six Nations Championships.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
