People are always complaining that not enough sports coverage is free-to-air in the UK. Well, ITV looks set to be changing that by adding the inaugural rugby Nations Championship to its roster. Per The Telegraph, the company has put in a £90m bid for the bi-annual tournament, blowing opponents out of the water.
Where does this leave TNT Sports? The broadcaster aired an enthralling set of Autumn internationals and is home to England’s Gallagher Premiership and increasingly popular Women’s Premiership. In the end, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned outlet did not bid for the new rights. It is said to have withdrawn from the process.
This is not TNT Sports losing anything, per se. The Nations Championship has never existed before, and, as I say, the company just didn’t complete the bidding process. However, not getting hold of the rights is not great for the broadcaster, which is still reeling from losing the rights to UEFA competitions. The Champions League is heading to Paramount+ from the start of the 2027 season, with the Europa and Europa Conference Leagues going to Sky. The NBA has gone too, as a result of the company losing out in the US.
TNT Sports’ Offer After Rugby Miss
While I think there is starting to be an emerging issue as to the amount TNT Sports will have to offer, there is currently still plenty on there. In fairness, that will remain the case even when the European Football changes come into force too. For instance, the broadcaster airs hundreds of hours of cycling, including the Grand Tours. Ironically, ITV is no longer going to show this. TNT Sports also carries some Serie A football (DAZN has it all), a weekly Premier League match and more niche interest sports like Motocross bike racing and UFC. They are currently showing the Ashes live from Australia, too. And, of course, the company will bid, and surely win, more rights as they become available
The fractured nature of sports rights is one of the most frustrating elements of this streaming era. (Shameless plug: there is a whole chapter about it in my new book.) The free-to-air channels are generally unable to match the bids of major streaming companies, so the size of ITV’s bid is significant. It also means they will be showing every England rugby Test match. Ultimately, each broadcaster has a budget and has to decide where it wants to spend it.
When the deal for the Nations Series rugby is officially announced, it will be a big win for ITV. But it will also be a win for sports fans who want to watch something high-quality without needing another subscription.
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