The BBC and ITV have joined forces to keep the Six Nations on terrestrial television, winning the broadcast rights from 2017 with an offer worth £50m a year, as the Guardian exclusively revealed on Tuesday.
Sky had been regarded as the favourites to gain the rights when the BBC’s £40m-a-year contract runs out in 2017, but the new deal means the most financially lucrative competition in the sport outside the World Cup will remain available to all viewers.
The expectation that BT and Sky would bid against each other and force up the price did not materialise. The former, which broadcasts the Premiership and has co-rights for the European Champions Cup with Sky, did not respond while the latter’s offer was deemed to be too low to justify the public outrage, and potential damage to the growth of the sport, that would follow taking the Six Nations off free-to-air television.
As Sky’s offer was not substantially higher than the BBC’s when the final round of bidding finished last week, the BBC opened talks with ITV, who were prepared to join forces to keep rugby’s oldest international tournament on terrestrial television.
The deal could mark something of a turning point in what has become a one-way flow in sport on television, with subscription stations hoovering up more and more non-protected rights.
The BBC has this year lost the rights for golf’s Open Championship to Sky from 2017 while the Ashes are available live only to viewers who have Sky.
