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ITV has strengthened its rugby offering through a major new agreement with Six Nations Rugby, securing free-to-air broadcast rights to key international competitions through 2029. The deal guarantees a minimum of 124 matches over the next four years, with ITV and STV becoming the exclusive free-to-air broadcasters of the Nations Championship in the UK for the tournament’s first two editions in 2026 and 2028.
Under this new arrangement, ITV Sport will air a comprehensive slate of international fixtures, including the 2026 Nations Championship, the Men’s Summer Nations Series ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup warm-ups, the 2028 Nations Championship, and both the Men’s July Internationals and the Men’s Autumn Nations Series 2029. Home fixtures for England, Scotland and Wales will be produced by ITV Sport Production, part of ITV Studios.
The Nations Championship brings together the 12 highest-ranked teams in global rugby in a new cross-hemisphere competition. Created jointly by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, it unifies the July and November international windows into a single, structured tournament held every two years, with the inaugural competition beginning this July.
According to ITV, the partnership represents a major investment in the development of the sport within competing nations and ensures what the broadcaster describes as the UK’s most extensive free-to-air access to top-level international rugby since the game’s professional era began.
This new agreement builds on ITV’s existing rights to the Guinness Six Nations, secured last year, which guarantee 10 matches per season—including every England game—live and free-to-air on ITV for the next four years.
Niall Sloane, ITV’s Director of Sport, said:“Securing these rights marks a major milestone for ITV Sport and the future of free-to-air rugby. With at least 124 international fixtures over the coming four years, we’re thrilled to showcase the best of world rugby to help the sport continue to grow.”
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, added: “This partnership is more than a rights agreement—it’s a commitment to the future of rugby. For the next four years, fans will have unrivalled free-to-air access to every major moment from the Six Nations and the Nations Championship. Alongside ITV’s significant investment, the sport is entering its strongest position yet.”
Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, noted: “The Nations Championship represents a transformational moment for rugby. The new competitive format gives real meaning to every fixture in the July and November windows, and the commercial momentum behind it is already evident. ITV’s involvement is hugely significant for both players and fans as we head into the first tournament this July and towards the inaugural Finals Weekend in London in November.”
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