ITV confirmed as UK broadcaster for 2027 Rugby World Cup

ITV will be the UK home of next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia after being confirmed as the tournament's British broadcaster, extending its run to a 10th successive edition. All 52 matches from the 24-team event, which includes a last-16 knockout round for the first time, will be shown live and free-to-air. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland fixtures will also remain on terrestrial television in the United Kingdom until summer 2029.

"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," said World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin.

The announcement deepens a relationship that dates back to the 1991 tournament: ITV has held the rights to every men's World Cup since that edition. The broadcaster has also secured the 2026 and 2028 editions of the new Nations Championship, as well as the majority of Six Nations fixtures up to and including the 2029 championship, in a shared-rights deal with BBC Sport.

The 2027 World Cup, the first to feature 24 teams, opens with hosts Australia taking on Hong Kong on 1 October next year. The expanded format adds a round-of-16 stage, taking the total to 52 matches. Under the new agreement, every one of those games will be available to UK viewers without a subscription, including all of England's men's fixtures currently scheduled until summer 2029 and the matches of Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

For World Rugby, keeping the tournament free-to-air across the UK is a key part of widening the sport's appeal, and the governing body made clear it sees the deal as a statement of intent. The World Cup returns to Australia for the first time since 2003, and the guaranteed terrestrial coverage of all four home nations is considered central to growing the game in the run-up to the tournament.

Sources

• BBC Sport