ITV bids over £80m for the inaugural rugby union Nations Championship
The inaugural rugby union Nations Championship looks set to be broadcast on free-to-air television following a bid of more than £80m by ITV, reports BritPanorama.
If successful, all Six Nations matches and Nations Championship fixtures will be available on terrestrial TV in the UK until at least 2029.
ITV has been competing with TNT Sports, initially tipped to secure the new competition, but it appears ITV may have clinched the deal for the first two editions of the tournament.
The Nations Championship, set to replace the summer international tours and Quilter Nations Series from next autumn, will feature a 12-team competition culminating in a finals weekend, with the first one taking place in London.
Currently, ITV holds the rights to England’s Six Nations matches as part of a joint £63m deal with the BBC for the premier annual international rugby competition. England’s three July fixtures include matches against world champions Springboks in South Africa, followed by a second game against Fiji in the Rainbow Nation.
The three-week tour will wrap up with a match against Argentina, before games at Allianz Stadium against Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. Deals with free-to-air broadcasters in Ireland and France are expected to broaden the terrestrial coverage of the competition, which has been years in the making.
This development could be a setback for TNT Sports, which recently added the Quilter Nations Series to its rugby portfolio, replacing the Investec Champions Cup, as reported by City AM.
Six Nations head, Tom Harrison, characterised the competition as a “tectonic shift in the sport” during the unveiling of the Nations Championship.
“The world’s biggest and best Championships are defined by intense sporting drama, and the Nations Championship will stand alongside these,” he further stated. “The Finals Weekend will add a totally new dimension for fans, and promises to create an incredible spectacle, crown Champions, and act as a catalyst to grow rugby’s reach, globally.”
The bid from ITV reflects a significant investment in UK sports broadcasting, emphasizing the growing market for rugby union. The emphasis on free-to-air coverage aligns with broader trends in sports media, prioritizing accessibility for fans. As competition for rights intensifies, the implications for viewership and the sport’s domestic and international profile may unfold over the coming years.
