In a dramatic turn of events for rugby fans across the United Kingdom, the future of the Six Nations Championship’s free-to-air coverage has been cast into uncertainty, with the BBC hinting at a potential withdrawal from broadcasting the esteemed tournament.
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As per the arrangement for the 2025 Championship, the broadcasting coverage in the UK is set to be shared between BBC and ITV, with S4C offering Welsh language options, marking a continuation of the tradition of accessible viewing for fans.
However, looming over the horizon is the unsettling prospect that the 2025 edition could very well be the final Six Nations Championship under the current broadcast contract. This foreboding uncertainty stems from a recent governmental decision that declined to include the tournament in the list of “crown jewels” sports events, which are mandated to be offered for live free-to-air broadcast.
The BBC’s outgoing director of sport, Barbara Slater, expressed apprehensions to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport select committee in November, suggesting that the network might find it increasingly challenging to financially sustain its share of the broadcasting rights alongside ITV.
This development harks back to the year 2015 when Sky, a prominent pay-TV broadcaster, was invited to bid for the rights to air the Six Nations matches. However, their bid was thwarted by a collaborative effort between the BBC and ITV. Nonetheless, the historical narrative reveals that the Six Nations has only enjoyed exclusive free-to-air coverage since 2003, with England’s home games being shown on Sky from 1997 to 2002.
With the BBC potentially bowing out of the race, ITV faces an uphill battle to retain exclusivity over the tournament’s broadcasting rights. Competing against formidable contenders such as TNT, Sky, Netflix, and Prime Video, ITV’s grip on the prestigious event appears increasingly tenuous.
As the 2025 Championship draws nearer, fervent fans of the Six Nations anxiously await further developments regarding the fate of its broadcasting rights, with the looming specter of pay-TV casting a shadow over the cherished tradition of free-to-air coverage.
2025 Siz Nations Fixtures
ROUND 1
- Friday 31 January
- France vs Wales – 8.15pm
- Saturday 1 February
- Scotland vs Italy – 2.15pm
- Ireland vs England – 4.45pm
ROUND 2
- Saturday 8 February
- Italy vs Wales – 2.15pm
- England vs France – 4.45pm
- Sunday 9 February
- Scotland vs Ireland – 3pm