Six Nations Where to Watch : The 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations has officially kicked off! In a historic scheduling first, the tournament opened today with a high-stakes Thursday night clash between France and Ireland at the Stade de France. With a new multimillion-pound broadcasting deal in place through 2029, the tournament remains largely free-to-air in its core markets, though the distribution of matches between networks has shifted this year.
Here is your global guide on where to watch the 2026 Championship.
1. United Kingdom: BBC & ITV (Free-to-Air)
The rights are once again shared between BBC and ITV, but with a “power reshuffle” for 2026:
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- ITV1 / ITVX: Now the primary home for England fans. ITV will broadcast all five England matches and a total of 10 fixtures throughout the tournament.
- BBC One / BBC iPlayer: Will broadcast five fixtures, focusing primarily on Scotland and Wales home games (unless they are playing England).
- S4C: Provides exclusive Welsh-language coverage of all Wales matches.
- Premier Sports: For the first time, this pay-TV service has acquired a non-exclusive five-game slate (one per week) to offer an alternative broadcast with enhanced technical analysis.
2. Ireland: RTÉ & Virgin Media (Free-to-Air)
Every match from the Men’s, Women’s, and U20 competitions remains free for Irish audiences.
- Virgin Media One / Virgin Media PLAY: Broadcasted today’s opener (France v Ireland) and will show the majority of Ireland’s matches.
- RTÉ2 / RTÉ Player: Will share the remaining fixtures, including Saturday’s clash between England and Wales.
- RTÉ Radio 1: Holds exclusive radio rights for all Irish matches.
3. International Streaming (USA, Canada, & India)
- USA: Peacock
- Status: The exclusive home of the Six Nations in the US.
- Access: Every match is streaming live and on-demand for Peacock Premium subscribers.
- Canada: DAZN
- Status: Every match is available live. Additionally, the new Premier Sports Canada service has launched a dedicated rugby hub for 2026.
- India & South Asia: Premier Sports
- Status: Fans in India can watch the tournament via Premier Sports (available on certain cable providers and digital platforms like FanCode or dedicated OTT apps).
4. Round 1 Fixtures & TV Schedule
| Match | Date | Time (GMT) | UK Channel |
| France vs Ireland | Today, Feb 5 | 8:10 PM | ITV1 / Virgin Media |
| Italy vs Scotland | Sat, Feb 7 | 2:10 PM | BBC One / Virgin Media |
| England vs Wales | Sat, Feb 7 | 4:40 PM | ITV1 / RTÉ2 |
5. New Innovations for 2026
- Live AI Stats: In partnership with Capgemini, the 2026 broadcast features live, real-time translated stats in French and Italian during the world feed.
- TMO “In-Bowl”: For the first time, fans at home and in the stadium can hear the full, unedited interaction between the Referee and the TMO during reviews.
Quick Watch Summary
| Region | Platform | Access Type |
| UK | ITVX / BBC iPlayer | Free |
| Ireland | RTÉ Player / Virgin Media Play | Free |
| USA | Peacock | Subscription |
| India | Premier Sports | Subscription |
| Australia | Stan Sport | Subscription |
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