This statement sets out Ofcom’s decision following our consultation on requests from the BBC and ITV for consent to broadcast exclusive live coverage of the Men’s Six Nations Rugby Union Championship in 2026 (“the 2026 Six Nations”).
We consulted between 17 December 2025 and 14 January 2026 on requests from the BBC and ITV for consent to broadcast exclusive live coverage of the 2026 Six Nations. The tournament is due to take place from Thursday 5 February to Saturday 14 March 2026.
Our consultation explained that we were minded to grant consent to the BBC and ITV (and the other Channel 3 licensees). We noted our provisional view that, although the applications were made on the basis that no secondary coverage would be provided by a non-qualifying service, it appeared to us from the information provided by the BBC and ITV that broadcasters of ‘non-qualifying’ services had been given a genuine opportunity to acquire the rights to adequate secondary coverage of the 2026 Six Nations. We received one response to the consultation, which supported the BBC and ITV’s proposed coverage.
Six Nations matches involving home countries are designated, by the Secretary of State, as Group B listed events for the purposes of the Broadcasting Act 1996 (“the Act”).[1] Under the Act, Ofcom’s consent is required where live coverage of a listed event would be exclusive to one category of television service. The Act and Ofcom’s Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events distinguish between ‘qualifying’ services (free‑to‑air channels with broad UK reach) and ‘non‑qualifying’ services. Where the same live rights are held by broadcasters in both categories, coverage is not exclusive, and Ofcom’s consent is not required.
For the 2026 Six Nations, the BBC and ITV/STV plan to share free-to-air coverage:
- The BBC plans to broadcast live coverage of the Wales and Scotland home matches (except Scotland’s home match against England), and Scotland’s away match against Italy, on BBC One or BBC Two.
- ITV and STV plan to broadcast live coverage of England’s home and away matches, and Ireland and France’s home matches, across the Channel 3 network.[2]
S4C has an agreement with the BBC and ITV enabling it to show Welsh language coverage of matches involving Wales.[3] The BBC also holds rights to broadcast live radio coverage of all the matches in the 2026 Six Nations on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
Since we published our consultation, it was announced that Premier Sports has acquired rights to broadcast live coverage of the same 2026 Six Nations matches as the BBC. As explained above, Ofcom’s consent is not required where the same rights to broadcast live coverage of a listed event have been acquired by broadcasters providing services in both categories (‘qualifying’ and ‘non-qualifying'). As Premier Sports (a ‘non-qualifying’ service) holds the same live rights to the BBC (a ‘qualifying’ service), the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 Six Nations no longer requires Ofcom’s consent. (For the same reason, Premier Sports’ live coverage does not require consent.)
In relation to ITV’s live coverage of the 2026 Six Nations, Ofcom has decided to grant consent. As set out in the consultation (based on the information provided by the BBC and ITV), it appears to us that broadcasters of non-qualifying services were given a genuine opportunity to acquire rights to adequate secondary coverage, and we note that the BBC and ITV’s planned coverage will ensure that live coverage of the tournament remains available for free to audiences across the UK.
[1] For Group B listed events, the listed events rules aim to ensure that coverage (but not necessarily live coverage) is widely available to audiences for free. To this end, the Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events sets out that Ofcom will give its consent to exclusive live coverage of an event by a broadcaster providing a service in one category (that is, either a qualifying or non-qualifying service), if adequate provision has been made for secondary coverage by a broadcaster providing a service in the other category, and rights to provide live radio commentary have also been acquired.
[2] The match played between France and Italy is not a listed event for the purposes of the Act.
[3] S4C does not need Ofcom’s consent for this coverage as each of these matches will also be broadcast by the BBC or ITV. As S4C is a non-qualifying service (for the purposes of the Act), and the BBC and ITV’s coverage is to be broadcast on qualifying services, the exception in section 101(1) of the Act applies.