ITV AGREES FREE-TO-AIR RUGBY DEAL THROUGH TO 2029

ITV has agreed a new deal with Six Nations Rugby to air major rugby competitions free-to-air until 2029, with a minimum of 124 fixtures in the next four years. 

ITV and STV will be the exclusive free-to-air home of the Nations Championship for fans in the UK, for its first two editions, in 2026 and 2028.

In what is set to be ITV’s biggest year in sport, ITV Sport will broadcast the new Nations Championship in 2026, Men’s Summer Nations Series, as teams prepare for Rugby World Cup Warm 2027, the Nations Championships in 2028, and Men’s July Internationals and Men’s Autumn Nations Series 2029.

All home games for England, Scotland and Wales will be produced by ITV Sport Production as part of ITV Studios. The Nations Championship; international rugby’s new competitive cross hemisphere tournament features the twelve strongest nations in the sport and stars the best players in the world, all competing to win rugby’s newest silverware and titles. 

The tournament debuts in July 2026, having been created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR through a landmark joint venture, to transform the July and November international rugby windows into a single competitive tournament, every two years.

The statement partnership with ITV secures significant investment to fuel rugby in the nations competing in the Nations Championship over the next four years, as well as cementing the UK’s most comprehensive free-to-air access to international rugby, since the game turned professional. This combination will redefine the future of the sport on and off the pitch and gives the broadest possible UK audience access to every moment of live action from the new global tournament.

The Nations Championship joins ITV coverage of the iconic Guinness Six Nations, following the UK broadcaster agreeing a new long term partnership last year, that sees ten fixtures from the Championship, including every England fixture, live and free-to-air on ITV every year, for the next four years. ITV and PREM Rugby have also agreed an extension to their long-standing free-to-air broadcast partnership, with a new two-year deal.

Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, says: “This is a landmark deal for ITV Sport in securing the future of free-to-air rugby coverage for a UK audience. With a minimum of 124 international matches in the coming four years, we look forward to showcasing the very best of global rugby to enable the game to grow."

Commenting on the confirmation that ITV will become the home of the Nations Championship in the UK, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said: “This is more than a new partnership with ITV; it is a statement of intent for the future of rugby. Every major moment from the Six Nations and Nations Championship will be available, Free-to-Air, for the next four years, giving fans unprecedented access to the best of international rugby. Coupled with significant investment in the sport, from ITV, the game has never been in a stronger position.

The Nations Championship will redefine the future of rugby. The new tournament format has injected competitive meaning into every single fixture across the July and November international rugby windows. It is not only compelling for fans but massively enhances the commercial landscape the sport is operating in, and we are seeing this translate into significant partnerships in rugby’s most important territories.

Securing Free-To-Air coverage for the new tournament is testament to the strength of its format and reflects the anticipation for its debut. The Nations Championship now has an incredible opportunity to establish itself as a fundamental part of the global calendar for years to come.”

Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, added: “The Nations Championship is a game changer for the entire sport. The new competitive format has injected more meaning into every single fixture across the July and November international rugby windows, and we are seeing the strength of the new format translate into commercial success in rugby’s most important territories. The partnership with ITV is incredibly significant and exciting for the players and fans, as we look ahead to the start of the tournament this July, on the road towards the first ever Finals Weekend hosted in London in November.”

More details will be announced in due course.