Six Nations Rugby enters into exclusive discussions with BBC and ITV

Six Nations Rugby enters into exclusive discussions with BBC and ITV to share broadcast rights for all Six Nations Championships in a multi-year agreement for the UK market

Six Nations Rugby today confirmed that it has entered into exclusive discussions with BBC and ITV after an agreement in principle was reached relating to all three Six Nations Championships (Men's Guinness Six Nations, Women's Six Nations and Men's Under- 20's).

Fans will continue to enjoy widespread coverage of Rugby's Greatest Championships throughout the United Kingdom due to an enhanced agreement between Six Nations Rugby and the two broadcasters, who have worked together since 2016. The agreement has a four-year term starting in 2022 and ending after the 2025 Championships.

Subject to contract it is envisaged that all three Championships will be shared in the following manner:

For the Men's Guinness Six Nations Championship, ITV will show all of England, Ireland, Italian and French home matches, while BBC will broadcast all of Scotland and Wales' home matches.

The Women's Six Nations, will be broadcast exclusively on the BBC with unprecedented broadcast investment.

In addition the stars of tomorrow will get to showcase their skills with consistent coverage of the Men's Under-20's Championship also being shown on the BBC.

Commenting on the partnership, Ben Morel, Chief Executive Officer of Six Nations Rugby said: This is exciting news for fans and for our Championships. Both BBC and ITV have been excellent partners in recent years playing an important role in sharing the incredible moments that the Six Nations always produces, and celebrating the special place our Championships hold in the hearts of fans. I'm particularly excited by the opportunity to grow the Women's game with an invested broadcast partner in the BBC who is as committed as we are. We're looking forward to working with them both as we continue to raise the bar and bring Rugby's Greatest Championships to ever-growing numbers across the UK.

Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport continued: For the millions of Six Nations fans across the UK, the Championships remaining free-to-air is wonderful news. We look forward to delivering live action from both the Men's and Women's as well as the Men's Under-20's Championships to the widest possible audience over the next four seasons. BBC Sport has led the way in increasing the profile of Women's sports, so we are

thrilled to now include the Women's Six Nations as a permanent fixture on our broadcast calendar.

Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: ITV is delighted to have reached this agreement, which extends free-to-air coverage of such an important tournament and will ensure it remains centre stage each spring. With the addition of France home games to those of England, Ireland and Italy, we look forward to bringing ITV viewers a wealth of superb rugby from the Six Nations in the coming years.

No further comment will be made at this point from any of the parties until such time as the contract terms have been concluded.

[end]

About Six Nations Rugby

Six Nations Rugby is the official organising body of the annual Six Nations Championships and Autumn International Series.

Working in partnership with its member unions and federations in England (RFU), France (FFR), Ireland (IRFU), Italy (FIR), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU), Six Nations Rugby has responsibility for the promotion and operation of the renowned Six Nations Championships and Autumn International Series, as well as the negotiation and management of their centralised commercial rights.

The Six Nations Championship is the oldest international rugby tournament in the world, dating back to its original incarnation in 1883 and expanding to its current format of six teams in 2000. It consists of three highly competitive annual tournaments across men's, women's and U20s rugby.

In its day-to-day operations, Six Nations Rugby is guided by the core values of courage, solidarity, inclusion, integrity, and creativity. Together with its unions and federations, Six Nations Rugby is committed to the development of rugby at all levels, as well as working with other governing and representative bodies around the world to ensure the best possible future for the game, its players and its fans.

For further information about Six Nations Rugby please visit www.sixnationsrugby.com

LINK:	https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/six-nations-rugby-enter...
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