Wednesday 04 February 2026 3:30 pm | Updated: Wednesday 04 February 2026 2:57 pm ITV in-game Six Nations ads will keep sport free-to-air, experts say By: Matt Hardy Deputy Sports Editor - City AM Share Facebook Share on Facebook X Share on Twitter LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp Email Share on Email Add as a preferred source on Google ITV’s introduction of ads during Six Nations games keeps rugby free-to-air ITV’s introduction of advertising during matches at the Six Nations is a sign of things to come but will keep more sport on free-to-air television, say experts. Starting tomorrow, the broadcaster will show split-screen adverts during pauses in play at this year’s competition, such as when scrums are being reset. It has led to concerns that the tournament could lose casual viewers who do not understand the complexities of the scrum, but will crucially allow ITV to recoup some of its heavy investment into free-to-air rugby and keep the tournament open to all. Ed Mullins, senior director of inventory and partnerships at StackAdapt, a marketing platform working on the Winter Olympics, told City AM : “The cost of sports rights continues to surge, and broadcasters simply can’t rely on traditional ad breaks alone if they want to keep major tournaments accessible to mass audiences. “Fans may bristle at first, but there’s a commercial reality here. If broadcasters can’t find new ways to monetise live sport, the likely outcome isn’t fewer ads, it’s more content moving behind paywalls. For many viewers, that’s a far worse trade-off than seeing limited advertising during natural pauses in play.” News Updates Stay ahead with our three daily briefings delivering all the key market moves, top business and political stories, and incisive analysis straight to your inbox. Shake-up for ITV ITV, which will also play a key part in broadcasting this year’s Fifa World Cup, paid a reported £80m to secure access to the inaugural rugby Nations Championship, meaning all of England’s international matches will be free-to-air until the end of the decade . ITV shares the Six Nations coverage with the BBC, but the ad-funded channel has access to all of the England matches ahead of the public service broadcaster. Added Mullins: “The real risk isn’t the presence of ads, it’s how they’re delivered. If broadcasters overload the experience or disrupt key moments, audiences will push back quickly. But if these formats are used sparingly and intelligently, they could become a standard part of live sports viewing much sooner than fans might expect.” Read more Will the Nations Championship financially underdeliver for in-need Fiji? Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Similarly tagged content: Sections Sport News Categories Sport Business Business Rugby Union Sport People & Organisations free-to-air Guinness Six Nations ITV ITV Rugby Rugby Rugby Union Six Nations Related Topics Rugby Union Trending Articles Jaguar reveals the Type 01’s screen-free interior Treasury ‘tells Healey’ to consider tax on banks and oil Pensioners to hand over bank statements in government benefits crackdown City firms mandate phone and face-to-face comms bootcamps for Gen Z lawyers Jamie Carragher: HMRC petitions for Sky Sports star to be declared bankrupt More from City AM Will the Nations Championship financially underdeliver for in-need Fiji? Sport Business Free-to-air bonanza boon for fans, sport and marketers Sport Business Reality is rugby’s Nations Championship is botched Sport Business What can the Rugby World Cup learn from US nailing of Fifa World Cup? Sport Business Fifa want to sell the family silver but should World Rugby do the same? Sport Business Sky’s ITV takeover could be tonic for Premier League media rights value Sport Business Ticket price hikes proof Wales Rugby Union is tone deaf to loyal fan concerns Sport Business Exclusive: Bordeaux Begles to compete in London rugby sevens tournament Sport Business Subscribe Subscribe to the City AM newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe By signing up to our newsletters you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .
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