The free-to-air broadcaster is now the UK’s number one destination for international rugby until 2029
UK broadcaster ITV has just announced a new deal it says will bring a minimum of 124 international fixtures to free-to-air television between now and the end of 2029.
With ITV’s impressive line-up set to include the Men’s Six Nations, the new Nations Championship and numerous other internationals, the TV giant is describing the offering as the “most complete free-to-air access to international rugby as the game turned professional”, and that may not be an exaggeration.
It’s certainly good news for armchair rugby fans in the UK, as we explain below.
What does the ITV offering include?
Last March, ITV and the BBC announced a joint deal that would keep the Men’s six Nations on free-to-air terrestrial TV until at least 2029. As part of that deal, ITV (and Scottish equivalent STV) will broadcast 10 of the 15 Six Nations matches each season - including every England game.
ITV has since confirmed it’s also snapped up the exclusive rights to the 2026 and 2028 editions of the brand new Nations Championship, meaning competitive international action on our screens throughout July and November.
In 2027, ITV will broadcast the Summer Nations Series, essentially a warm-up for the 2027 Men’s World Cup.
And in 2029,ITV has exclusive rights to both the July internationals and the Autumn Nations Series.
For club rugby fans, meanwhile, ITV will continue to air seven Gallagher PREM games per season (including the Twickenham final) until at least 2027-28.
What about the Men’s Rugby World Cup?
That may well be turn out to be an elephant in the room. While ITV has held the rights to the Men’s World Cup since 1991, a UK broadcaster for the 2027 competition in Australia is yet to be confirmed.
Could ITV’s decision to spend big on the Six Nations and the Nations Championship be a sign that the World Cup is about to disappear behind a paywall for the first time in the UK?
This is just speculation, of course, but whether or not ITV is involved in the bidding for the next tournament, ther’s no question the broadcaster now has men’s international rugby involving northern hemisphere teams pretty much sewn up.
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