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- ITV already has Nations Championship and Six Nations rights
- Network to not show in-play advertising during Nations Championship
Commercial broadcaster ITV has reportedly secured the UK live rights to the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup, beating the BBC to the tournament, according to The Guardian.
The BBC had explored a bid after strong viewing figures for last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. ITV, however, reportedly pushed for exclusive rather than shared rights, reflecting the strength of the advertising market around live rugby.
As a result, ITV now holds the rights to the major men’s international competitions through at least 2029. The free-to-air (FTA) broadcaster secured the rights to the first two editions of the Nations Championship in 2026 and 2028 in December last year, while it will continue to deliver every Six Nations match for the next three years.
The acquisition strengthens ITV’s rugby rights portfolio ahead of the next men’s Rugby World Cup cycle while marking another key milestone in World Rugby’s international media rights sales programme. CBS has secured the US rights, while Nine Network and TF1 have struck agreements in Australia and France respectively.
ITV’s push for exclusivity also aligns with its strategy of maximising returns from live rugby after introducing new advertising initiatives during this year’s Six Nations.
The broadcaster has confirmed it will not use in-play advertising during the Nations Championship, with advertiser spend largely focused on its coverage of the ongoing Fifa World Cup. However, it expects to reintroduce the commercials during the November internationals and next year’s Six Nations.
ITV trialled side-screen advertising during this year’s Six Nations to increase returns on its rugby rights investment. While higher engagement was reported, the format drew criticism from some viewers. Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison previously defended the initiative, telling SportsPro the ads were necessary to keep the tournament on FTA television.
Whether ITV extends its in-play advertising strategy to the Rugby World Cup will be closely watched following the mixed reaction to its Six Nations trial.
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