New deal agreed to show Six Nations rugby on free to air television

Every Scotland v England Calcutta Cup game will be shown live on STV as part of a new deal to show Six Nations rugby on free-to-air television across the UK.

STV and BBC will share live coverage of the annual championship across TV and digital platforms.

Both broadcasters have worked with Six Nations Rugby to agree a new and innovative partnership that will deliver coverage that builds on the year-on-year audience growth that the tournament is generating.

STV will show ten fixtures per year over the next four years, including every single England fixture in each edition of the championship.

The BBC will deliver coverage of five Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixtures per year, including every Scotland and Wales home match, except when each nation is hosting England, when the fixture will be broadcast on STV.

The BBC has also secured the media rights to every fixture of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations in the UK until 2029, with coverage spanning TV and iPlayer.

Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said: “The significance of these new and innovative free to air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated.

“These partnerships allow us to maximise audience reach whilst generating critical revenue for the game, enabling each Union and Federation to protect and grow the sport in their country in the coming years.

“The increased commitment from the free to air sector is testament to the appeal and status of our iconic Championships.

“The commercial environment in which rugby is operating is extremely challenging and the battle for audience attention has never been greater, but the Six Nations stands alongside the greatest occasions in world sport, which is reflected by these partnerships.”

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said: “We are being supported more than ever by the Scottish public. We feel that backing at the stadiums, but we are also aware of the millions of people who support us by watching on TV.

“The Guinness Six Nations is the biggest annual tournament in rugby and having all of our matches available to be viewed by the largest possible audience will only help the competition continue to grow over the coming years.”

Scotland co-captain Finn Russell said: “When the Guinness Six Nations comes around every year you can always feel a unique sense of excitement across Scotland.

“We really appreciate the backing of our fans and to have all of our games in the tournament available on TV to everyone across the country is a massive boost for the sport.

“It will only allow more people to get behind us which in turn will act as extra motivation for the players.”