Liberal Democrats launch campaign to keep Six Nations on free-to-air television

Exclusive: 2025 marks the final year of the BBC and ITV’s joint agreement in the United Kingdom, with subscription channel TNT Sports confirming that they were exploring the possibility of a bid

The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to save the free-to-air future of the Six Nations amid uncertainty over the competition’s terrestrial future.

The BBC and ITV are in the final year of their joint deal to show the tournament in the United Kingdom, with the tender process set to open in the next couple of months.

TNT Sports confirmed this week that they were exploring the possibility of a bid, with speculation suggesting that the BBC may already be out of the running.

While discussions are understood to still be at a preliminary phase, neither the men’s or women’s tournaments are currently protected by “Category A” status that would safeguard live coverage on terrestrial television.

And the Liberal Democrats in Parliament have tabled a motion calling for both the men’s and women’s competitions to be added to the so-called “crown jewels” list.

“This is the Six Nations’ 25th anniversary year - a key part of our national cultural calendar,” Max Wilkinson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, said.

“Every year, every fan looks forward to the magic of each Home Nation competing for glory as winter turns to spring. I’m personally deeply concerned by the news that the tournament could be behind a paywall as soon as next year - and I’m sure many rugby fans up and down the country feel the same.

“It would be a travesty if the public were deprived of the right to see their countries compete. That’s why it’s essential that the Government acts now to protect free-to-air coverage and save our Six Nations.”

The Six Nations’s free-to-air future could be under threat (PA Archive)

The World Cup final is the sole rugby union event currently afforded Category A status, which also covers events including Wimbledon, the Grand National and the Olympic Games. These must therefore be offered to free-to-air broadcasters on “fair and reasonable terms”.

Under the current deal for the men’s Six Nations, the BBC holds the rights to all Wales and Scotland home matches, with ITV showing fixtures in England, Ireland, France and Italy.

TNT Sports took over the rights to November’s Autumn Nations Series from Amazon Prime Video last year, and reported encouraging viewing figures.

“We are definitely having a look at the Six Nations," Scott Young, group senior vice-president for WBD Sports Europe, confirmed while announcing the merging of Eurosport with TNT in the UK and Ireland.

"How that plays out, we don't know. Again, how it fits into the ecosystem of what we're doing, we don't know. But international rugby definitely worked on our platform, but not just for the month of November, it also helped elevate Premiership Rugby, which is also very important for us. And that's part of the ecosystem of being a sports broadcaster."

A spokesperson for TNT cautioned this week, though, that broadcasting the Six Nations would prove “challenging”.

The spokesperson said: “While we think the Six Nations is the best international rugby competition in the world, its important partnership with free-to-air television across the UK and Ireland, but particularly in markets like Wales and Ireland, would make our involvement very challenging.”