Six Nations TV rights is drama in itself as TNT Sports 'bid' presents dilemma for BBC

The biggest annual festival of northern hemisphere international rugby is watched by millions of people across the United Kingdom during February and March, will all the matches currently covered by the BBC and ITV. In essence, a slither of your TV licence is all you have to pay to enjoy a tournament that is woven into the fabric of British sporting tradition.

There is talk of that changing, though. This week, many stories have emerged that TNT Sports are closing in on landing the TV rights for the Six Nations from 2026 onwards in a deal that could be worth more than £100 million to the competition’s key stakeholders.

TNT Sports are becoming bigger players in the rugby market. They screened the Autumn Nations Series last year and have the rights to the Gallagher Premiership. Viewing figures for the latter are strong, which has presumably piqued interest for the Six Nations - the crown jewels of rugby in the country.

A statement from TNT Sports this week appeared to put distance between them and reports of a deal. “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,” a spokesperson told Broadcast Sport earlier this week. But there is no smoke without fire. The Six Nations’ TV future remains up in the air.

That is in part due to the fact that the current agreement with BBC and ITV ends next year. The Six Nations is not included in the main group of the UK government’s ‘protected’ events - essentially those which have to be broadcast free-to-air, such as the football World Cup. The competition sits in the second tier, permitting live coverage being behind a paywall as long as there are free-to-air highlights.

The door is therefore open for a private broadcaster such as TNT Sports to make their move, especially as the BBC is coming under increasing budgetary pressure. Speaking in 2023, the then BBC Sport director Barbara Slater remarked: “Sports rights in the UK have more than doubled in the past decade. BBC’s income in real terms has gone down 30 per cent. It is incredibly difficult for the BBC to maintain, across a range of sports, the expectations of those governing bodies.

“With the Six Nations, like anything, we will have to assess the affordability at the time. Because it is very difficult for the BBC, on that trajectory of income, to continue to afford everything that we have. The truth is we’re probably not going to be the highest bidder, and it will come down to individual governing bodies as to how they balance that reach and revenue.”

The Scottish Rugby Union posted losses of £10 million in its past two accounts and they are not alone in their struggles. Their English counterparts are in the red to the tune of £37.9m, with the Irish making a loss of £15.3m and the Welsh £14m. All of the key players are under immense pressure to maximise revenues. Rugby is a loss-making sport right now for the UK Six Nations players.

Weighing this up against keeping the sport accessible to the general public is a difficult battle, though. In an ever-increasing fight for eyeballs against behemoths such as football and even emerging markets, would moving the Six Nations behind a paywall damage the long-term growth prospects of the game? It is a hard one for executives to decipher ahead of no doubt even more crunch talks. The current BBC Sport director, Alex Kay-Jelski, took up his role last year and is among many to have a big call on his hands.

For this year and next, you won’t have to worry about where to get your winter rugby fix. BBC and ITV will have the matches. But the future of the Six Nations via mainstream means is clearly in jeopardy - with no doubt a few more twists and turns along the way.