Latest news with #NiallSloane
The Independent
14-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
BBC and ITV secure new Six Nations deal to keep championship on free-to-air television
The Six Nations will remain on free-to-air television in the United Kingdom after ITV and BBC agreed a new deal to show the competition through to 2029. The rights in the United Kingdom had been up for grabs at the end of the broadcasters' existing agreement, which concludes after this tournament It was feared that parts of the championship would go behind a paywall with TNT Sports declaring interest in bidding, though the subscription channel cautioned that a 'challenging' landscape would make it difficult to capture the competition. And it has now been confirmed that the terrestrial broadcasters have again struck a deal to show the men's competition over the next four years. Under the new deal, ITV will show 10 games per campaign, including all of England's matches. The BBC will show the remaining five fixtures. The current agreement had seen the BBC show all of Wales and Scotland's home games, which they will continue to do so other than when the two nations host England. The national broadcaster will continue to show every fixture from the Women's Six Nations. 'The significance of these new and innovative free to air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated,' Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison said after an agreement that is understood to be an uplift on the previous deal. '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.' The balance between reach and revenue had been a key factor in negotiations with Six Nations bosses understanding the role the Six Nations plays in growing and sustaining the sport's audience. But at a time when many unions are seeking to improve their financial situation, the prospect of significant investment from a subscription broadcaster could well have been tempting. The continuity is good news for supporters though, with the competition staying in long-established locations. Niall Sloane, ITV's 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."
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
BBC and ITV agree new four-year partnership to offer fans free-to-air live coverage of the Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship
BBC Sport and ITV have agreed a new four-year partnership for the live free-to-air rights for the Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship, which will run concurrently from 2026 to 2029. Both broadcasters will bring free-to-air coverage across TV and digital platforms until 2029 ITV will broadcast all England matches for the duration of the deal BBC retains audio commentary rights for every match on radio, BBC Sounds or online ITV will broadcast ten live matches each season including every England fixture for the duration of the deal and deliver free-to-air live coverage across ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player, plus highlights and exclusive content on ITV Sport social accounts and YouTube. BBC Sport will bring audiences live TV coverage, TV highlights and digital clips of the Men's Six Nations including five live matches involving Scotland and Wales each year, and comprehensive live coverage of the Women's Six Nations and U20 Six Nations across BBC TV Channels and iPlayer. As well as live audio commentary across multiple platforms including radio, BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website and app. Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport says: '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 says: "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." 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 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 very 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.' ITV Sports rights portfolio includes the Women's Euros 2025, The FA Cup, Men's Euros 2028, Men's FIFA World Cup 2026, Men's FIFA World Cup 2030, Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship, ITV Horse Racing, LIV Golf and the Carabao Cup among many other sporting highlights. BBC Sport is the home of the Women's Six Nations 2025 across linear TV and iPlayer starting later this month (22 March), along with exclusive coverage of every match of the Women's Rugby World Cup in England this summer, available live on TV, iPlayer, and the red button. BBC Sport's rights portfolio also includes the Olympic Games, The FA Cup, Men's Euro 2028, Women's Euros 2025, Men's FIFA World Cup 2026, Men's FIFA World Cup 2030, Women's Super League, Wimbledon Championships, Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 and Match of The Day (Premier League and Champions League highlights). HM4
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
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 BBC will provide live TV coverage, TV highlights and digital clips of the championship, including five live matches involving Scotland and Wales each will broadcast 10 live games each season including every England fixture for the duration of the deal, which starts in 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 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 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."
The Guardian
07-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
LIV Golf strikes blow with deal to show live coverage on ITV
LIV Golf has struck its latest blow to the sport's establishment by securing a free-to-air television deal in the UK. ITV will screen 41 rounds from 41 tournaments of the Saudi Arabian-backed rebel tour in what marks a stark change for golf in the UK broadcast market. The BBC's gradual withdrawal from showing live golf means Sky essentially controls all coverage of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and majors. It had been widely assumed there was no appetite for free-to-air golf in this market. However, LIV surprisingly announced it had bucked the trend just as its 2025 season teed off in Riyadh. Round two of that event will be the first to appear on ITV. Niall Sloane, director of ITV Sport, said: 'This is an exciting time for LIV Golf as we look ahead to the innovative 2025 season. This partnership delivers free-to-air coverage for fans in the UK and we are delighted to welcome LIV Golf to ITV Sport.' With ITVX the primary platform for LIV, selected live broadcasts will also be shown on ITV1 and ITV4. A weekly highlights show, produced by LIV, will air on ITV4. LIV concluded a similar deal with Fox Sports in the US. LIV's Ron Wechsler said: 'Our partnership with ITV represents a major milestone as we strive to bring LIV Golf to every corner of the world. With a premier sports broadcaster like ITV, we can ensure that more fans than ever will be able to access the excitement of the LIV Golf experience and connect with the world-class players, teams, and stories that make us a truly standalone global sports league.' In a positive week for LIV, the US Open had already announced it will offer an exemption to a player via the tour's own standings. It is expected the Open Championship will follow suit for Portrush this July.
