ITV has struck a new long-term agreement with Six Nations Rugby that will make the broadcaster the exclusive free-to-air home of the new Nations Championship in the UK, alongside continued coverage of the Guinness Six Nations.
Under the deal, every fixture from the first two editions of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028, will be shown live and free-to-air on ITV and STV. ITV said the agreement delivers the most comprehensive free-to-air access to international rugby in the UK since the sport turned professional.
The Nations Championship is a new cross-hemisphere tournament featuring 12 leading nations and is being launched as a joint venture by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, which runs the flagship international tournaments of the Southern Hemisphere. The competition is designed to reshape the July and November international windows into a single competitive tournament held every 2 years. It will debut in July 2026, building towards a finals weekend in London in November.
Outside of Nations Championship years, ITV will also show matches from the Summer Nations Series, as teams prepare for Rugby World Cup 2027, with further coverage of the July Internationals and Autumn Nations Series in 2029.
ITV said it has agreed to air major rugby competitions free-to-air until 2029, with a minimum of 124 fixtures across the next 4 years. As part of the production arrangements, ITV Sport Production, part of ITV Studios, will produce all home games for England, Scotland and Wales.
The Nations Championship joins ITV’s existing rugby rights, including the Guinness Six Nations, after the broadcaster agreed a separate long-term partnership last year covering 10 fixtures per Championship each year, including every England match, live and free-to-air over the next 4 years. ITV has also extended its free-to-air partnership with Premiership Rugby through a new 2-year deal.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said the agreement was a “landmark deal” that secures the future of free-to-air rugby coverage for UK audiences. He said ITV looked forward to showcasing “the very best of global rugby” and helping the sport to grow.
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, described the partnership as a “statement of intent” for the sport, saying the combination of free-to-air coverage and investment would give fans unprecedented access to major international tournaments.
This is a major win for ITV, and a potential blow to TNT Sports, which screened last year’s Autumn Nations internationals.
