The Six Nations Championship, a premier European rugby tournament, will continue to be broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK until 2029, thanks to renewed partnerships with the public service broadcaster BBC and commercial network ITV.
Under the new arrangement, ITV will broadcast 10 matches annually, including all of England’s games, while the BBC will air the remaining five matches each year. These will feature every home game for Scotland and Wales, except when they host England. This ensures that viewers will continue to enjoy free coverage of their home nations’ matches.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Additionally, the deal encompasses the Women’s Six Nations and the Under-20s Six Nations for men, which the BBC will exclusively showcase on its platforms.
The latest media rights agreement, valued at approximately £100 million ($128.6 million) per year, represents an increase over the previous contract. This is a notable achievement, given concerns that the championship might move to a subscription-based model, especially with TNT Sports expressing interest.
This tripartite agreement between the Six Nations, the BBC, and ITV marks the third consecutive deal to keep the championship accessible to all viewers on free-to-air television.
In 2011, the BBC secured a contract to broadcast the Six Nations Championship through the end of the 2017 tournament. The four-year contract, which began in 2014 and included television, radio, and online rights, was reportedly worth £40 million ($62.4 million) annually, a 33.3% increase from the previous agreement.
However, for the subsequent four-year cycle starting in 2018, the Six Nations committee invited pay-TV companies to bid for the UK rights for the first time. This led the BBC to partner with ITV to secure a deal that outmanoeuvred Sky, a leading pay-TV provider.
A six-year joint deal, announced in July 2015 and spanning from 2016 to 2021, ensured the championship remained on free-to-air TV, with ITV broadcasting the Six Nations for the first time. The BBC initiated discussions with ITV after its solo bid fell just short of Sky’s final offer.
Despite the potential for a bidding war between Sky and BT Sport, the Six Nations committee and the participating unions favoured a deal that guaranteed broad free-to-air coverage. The two broadcasters reportedly proposed £50 million ($77.0 million) per season, a £10 million increase per season over the BBC’s current payment, and agreed to commence the contract two years early, adding another £20 million to the package.
In May 2021, the BBC and ITV, as the incumbent rights-holders, reached a new agreement with the Six Nations to extend live coverage of the tournament in the UK for an additional four years. This deal, which also includes the Women’s Six Nations and the men’s Under-20s Championship, took effect for the 2022 season and is set to run through 2025. Valued at around £90 million ($127.3 million) per year, it represents a significant increase from the previous terms.
Under this agreement, ITV secured a larger portion of the men’s tournament, covering the home fixtures of England, Ireland, Italy, and France, while the BBC retained the home games of Scotland and Wales.
Following the 2021 competition, there was speculation that live coverage might shift to a subscription broadcaster or digital platform as organizers sought to maximize value and secure a return on investment for CVC Capital Partners. The private equity firm had agreed to a deal worth £365 million for a 14.3% stake in the commercial rights to the Six Nations.
Pay-TV broadcasters Sky and BT Sport, along with streaming service Amazon Prime Video—all of which have experience broadcasting top-tier rugby—were considered contenders in the bidding process. The process, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, concluded at the end of March 2021.
Table 1: Six Nations Rugby rights cycle, broadcasters, and value
| CYCLE | BROAD CASTER | YEARS | TOTAL VALUE (£m) | ANNUAL VALUE (£m) | ANNUAL CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2029 | BBC/ITV | 4 | £400 | £100 | 11.1% |
| 2022 to 2025 | BBC/ITV | 4 | £360 | £90 | 80.0% |
| 2016 to 2021 | BBC/ITV | 6 | £300 | £50 | 25% |
| 2014 to 2015¹ | BBC | 2 | £80 | £40 | 0% |
| 2010 to 2013 | BBC | 4 | £160 | £40 | 33.3% |
| 2006 to 2009 | BBC | 4 | £120 | £30 | - |
¹ Deal was originally from 2014 to 2017
