BBC & ITV agree new four-year Six Nations rights deal
BBC Sport and ITV have agreed a new four-year deal for the live free-to-air rights for the Men's Six Nations to 2029.The BBC will provide live TV coverage, TV highlights and digital clips of the championship, including five live matches involving Scotland and Wales each year.ITV will broadcast 10 live games each season including every England fixture for the duration of the deal, which starts in 2026.BBC Sport will also offer live coverage of the Women's Six Nations and Under-20 Six Nations across TV and iPlayer, and continue providing live audio commentary across multiple platforms including radio, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app."This deal is fantastic news for rugby and the BBC, keeping the sport accessible for as many people as possible," director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski said."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."ITV director of sport Niall Sloane said it was a "monumental deal for rugby fans"."We are 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," he added."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."In January, RugbyPass reported that TNT Sports were considering bidding for the rights,, external but TNT responded by saying it would be "very challenging", external to buy because of the links to free-to-air TV.Last month England captain Maro Itoje called for Six Nations organisers to keep the championship on free-to-air TV, external on the grounds that rugby union needs more exposure.Six Nations Rugby chief executive Tom Harrison added: "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 BBC, the sport can continue to give as many fans as possible in the UK access to enjoy live coverage of the Six Nations."
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