The DCMS committee had called for the competition’s status to be reviewed
The Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee has made clear its disappointment in the government rejecting its calls to consider the Six Nations’ listed event status.
The competition has been the focus of reports that it may go behind a paywall, with the governing body allegedly refusing to allow the BBC and ITV to make a joint bid for the rights from 2022. The two free-to-air broadcasters currently show the Six Nations after successfully doing this last time round.
In response, the DCMS Committee had called for the competition to potentially be moved to the Group A category of listed events – ensuring that it has to stay on free-to-air TV. Currently it sits in Group B, which means only highlights are expected to be kept off pay-tv as a minimum.
Committee chair Julian Knight MP said of the latest development: “We’ve been informed by the government today that it has rejected our call to review the listing of the Six Nations Championship to give it Group A status which would have ensured it remained available on free-to-air channels.”
“It is very disappointing and a real missed opportunity that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is not even prepared to consider our request. It would have given fans hope for the future to see a national event that brings people together was being protected for all. That’s a message that becomes even more important in a time like this.”
BBC Director General Tony Hall earlier revealed a potential plan to get around the no joint bids rule, by sub-licensing to ITV, but he did not appear to hold out much hope for its success.
The last time that the Six Nations was behind a paywall was from 1997-2000, when Sky exclusively showed England’s home matches.