Six Nations operator converts on-pitch success into €12.5m profit
The Ireland-based company behind the
Six Nations
rugby tournament converted its tournament success into a pretax profit of £10.5 million (€12.5 million) in its last financial year.
Following a loss of more than £26.2 million in 2023, Six Nations Rugby Limited recorded a profit of £10,500,776 for the year ending June 30th, 2024, according to recently filed accounts.
The directors of the company said they were 'satisfied' with its performance in their financial year and expect that 'business activity for the coming year will remain strong'.
The Irish company, its accounts say, is responsible for the running of the Six Nations Tournament, a collective of the national rugby unions of
Ireland
, England, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy. It is owned, through a series of parent companies, by the six members of the tournament and European investment fund CVC.
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Employee headcount at the company increased to 39 in 2024, having been at 33 the year prior. Staff costs, made up of salaries, social welfare and pension contributions, stood at £5.21 million and included a termination payment amount of £77,927.
The company made payments to directors of £1.2 million, with a further £22,035 in pension contributions.
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With UK-based parents, it is liable to pay tax in both the UK and Ireland. It paid £10,506 in tax in Ireland and received a tax credit from the UK of £5.2 million due to losses incurred the previous year.
The Six Nations tournament, which took place in February and March 2024, saw 185 million viewers tune in across 64 countries.
The tournament is aired on free-to-air channels in Ireland and the UK, in which it recently signed a four-year broadcast rights extension with the BBC and ITV. In Ireland, the tournament is broadcast free-to-air on RTÉ and Virgin Media Television, with the deal reportedly set to be extended.
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