ITV has agreed a deal for live rights to the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup in a move that cements its position as the home of international rugby in the UK. The new contract will ensure that ITV has live coverage of every England international until at least 2029, as its joint Six Nations deal with the BBC gives it two-thirds of the tournament’s games and all of England matches.
The commercial broadcaster has also bought live rights for every game of the 2026 and 2028 editions of the new Nations Championship, which begins on Saturday with six matches including New Zealand v France, Australia v Ireland and South Africa v England.
The England game is scheduled to be shown on ITV4, as it clashes with the last-16 World Cup tie between Canada and Morocco, which will be given greater prominence on ITV1.
ITV is understood to have beaten off competition from the BBC to secure the World Cup, with the corporation having shown a renewed interest in rugby union since getting large viewing figures for its coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup last year.
ITV was determined to keep exclusive rights rather than explore a joint deal, with the advertising market around live rugby particularly lucrative for it.
The UK TV deal is the biggest for the tournament organiser, World Rugby, which has left it relatively late to reach an agreement given the competition begins in just 15 months.
Television contracts in other large markets were agreed some time ago, with CBS and Paramount+ securing live rights in the United States, which will stage the men’s World Cup in 2031 and the women’s edition two years later.
The longstanding broadcaster partner Channel Nine has bought the rights in Australia, while TF1 has done so in France.
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ITV and World Rugby declined to comment.
