BBC lose next World Cup bid as statement made on 2027 rugby tournament | Rugby | Sport
South Africa won the last edition of the tournament. (Image: Getty)
ITV have beaten the BBC to become the official UK broadcast partner for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. World Rugby have released a statement ahead of the tournament in Australia.
It means that the tournament will be available free-to-air. ITV already hold the rights to show every game of the first two Nations Championships and every England fixture of the Six Nations, with a joint deal with BBC seeing them show two-thirds of the matches.
BBC were reportedly keen on securing coverage rights, alongside ITV, for next year’s World Cup, following the success of the Women’s World Cup last year. However, it’s now been confirmed that the commercial channel has been handed exclusive rights for the 10th consecutive tournament.
It comes after a summer in which we saw BBC and ITV share the rights to show matches from the FIFA World Cup.
The new “landmark” ITV agreement with World Rugby represents the biggest contract yet for the tournament organisers. The deal guarantees that all 52 fixtures from the expanded World Cup will be broadcast live and free for UK viewers, alongside “extensive highlights, analysis and digital content” available through ITV, ITVX and ITV Sport’s YouTube channel.
Featuring 24 nations for the first time, the tournament will be the biggest in history, with a new round of 16 phase also being introduced. Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the inaugural Rugby World Cup, the tournament will get underway on 1st October next year and conclude with the final on 13th November, with matches spread across seven host cities.
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The next edition of the Rugby World Cup take place next year in Australia (Image: Getty)
As the deal was formally confirmed on Monday, ITV Director of Sport Niall Sloane said: “This is a monumental deal for audiences across the UK delivering coverage on ITV of the biggest rugby tournament.
“We’ve enjoyed a long standing partnership with World Rugby and this will continue to thrive. This partnership further secures ITV as the home of rugby adding to our extensive portfolio and commitment of rugby coverage across ITV1, ITVX and ITV Sport YouTube.”
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin added: “This is much more than a new agreement with a trusted partner, it is a statement of intent to ensure that everyone in the UK can experience and be inspired by one of the world’s iconic sporting events, its action, drama and personalities.
“ITV’s passion for rugby, commitment to innovation and ability to tell the stories that define Rugby World Cup have been central to the tournament’s success in the UK for more than 30 years, and will again be a major feature of Australia 2027, with every minute of every match available for UK fans.
“Australia 2027 will be a landmark moment for rugby. With 24 teams, more matches, more stories and more opportunities for emerging nations to shine on the world stage, the tournament will power a new era for the game,” Gilpin continued.
“Together with ITV, we look forward to bringing every unforgettable moment to everyone across the UK as we invite the world to go all out for Rugby World Cup 2027.”
