Will the BBC be able to afford the next 6 Nations contract?
According to a report in the Daily Mail suggest that the future of the BBC’s coverage of the Six Nations is uncertain, with the competition’s UK broadcast rights now carrying a record price tag of £100 million per year. The current four-year agreement, valued at £90 million annually, ends in March, and the bidding process is set to begin soon, with various networks preparing their offers.
As the BBC faces financial pressures and shifting priorities under new leadership, the tournament’s free-to-air availability is at risk. The broadcaster has admitted it may struggle to maintain its long-standing stake in the deal, which could pave the way for a joint bid from ITV and TNT Sports.
Six Nations organizers, based in Victoria, London, are expected to hold an open bidding process, welcoming proposals from both traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms.
TNT Sports is set to air the upcoming autumn internationals, but the RFU has yet to reveal plans for two England ‘A’ matches. Additionally, there have been discussions between the RFU and Apple about a potential partnership, hinting at future streaming deals.
Given this is in the Daily Mail, perhaps take it with a “pinch of salt” given their views on the BBC.
Comments
Will the BBC be able to afford the next 6 Nations contract? — No Comments
HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>