S4C, the Welsh-language public broadcast service in that part of the UK, has extended its coverage deal with the organizers of rugby union's Six Nations Northern Hemisphere competition.
Through a deal renewal with the Six Nations Rugby body announced today, S4C will cover all five of Wales' matches in the annual men's Six Nations competition, as well as the same number in the Under-20 Six Nations, in a deal stretching across the 2026-29 cycle.
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The men's Six Nations features the national teams of England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Italy, with Ireland having won this year's tournament.
In addition, the Welsh broadcaster will air extended highlights from all Wales fixtures in the annual Women's Six Nations (the competition generally takes place in the months following the men's tournament), through 2029.
The last deal between S4C and Six Nations Rugby came into effect in 2022, and ran through the various 2025 Six Nations tournaments (with the men's iteration taking place between January and March). At this year's men's tournament, Wales lost all five games and finished bottom of the table, as was the situation the year before.
Known as the Senedd, the Welsh parliament is protective of rugby broadcasting and has long fought to maintain free-to-air distribution of elite rugby rights on S4C.
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By GlobalDataThis new tie-up has been unveiled, meanwhile, with the broadcaster building up to providing coverage of the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, in which Wales will face off against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa, over the next few weeks.
Tom Harrison, Six Nations Rugby's chief executive, has said: "The Six Nations is one of the most loved annual occasions in the sporting calendar, and carries real cultural significance for fans in Wales, so we are proud to continue working with S4C to provide free-to-air Welsh language coverage of the championship for the next four years."
S4C, in terms of its prominent rugby union coverage, also aired the 2023 Rugby World Cup for a Welsh audience.
