Rugby Union’s UK broadcast picture has reshuffled significantly in the past two cycles. The Six Nations moved from BBC-and-ITV co-exclusive to ITV-and-Amazon co-exclusive, the Premiership consolidated onto TNT Sports after BT Sport’s rebrand, and the European Champions Cup remains under the same TNT umbrella.
Six Nations — ITV and Amazon Prime Video
The men’s Six Nations Championship is split between ITV and Amazon Prime Video under the current rights cycle. ITV broadcasts roughly half the fixtures on its main free-to-air channel (typically the higher-profile Saturday afternoon and Sunday games), with Amazon Prime Video carrying the other half via its streaming service. The pattern in 2026 is ITV taking the opening weekend and Super Saturday, with Amazon picking up the middle weekends.
ITV coverage runs on ITV1 with build-up from one hour before kickoff. The women’s Six Nations is on BBC iPlayer in full.
Premiership and English club rugby
The Gallagher Premiership is on TNT Sports in full — every match of the regular season, the playoffs, and the final at Twickenham. TNT also holds the Premiership Rugby Cup. Matches are typically Friday or Saturday evenings on TNT Sports 1 or TNT Sports 2, with the Saturday afternoon Premiership round split across the two TNT channels.
European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup
The Investec Champions Cup (formerly the Heineken Champions Cup) and the EPCR Challenge Cup are both on TNT Sports in the UK. The pool stage runs from December to January, with knockout rounds from April. The Champions Cup final is the headline TNT rugby fixture of each season, typically in late May.
International autumn tests
Autumn international tests are split. The England home tests have been on TNT Sports (or its predecessor BT Sport) in recent years, with selected fixtures simulcast on ITV. The Lions Tour (every four years) has historically been on Sky Sports and is contracted for 2025 and 2029 cycles.
Subscription cost reality
TNT Sports via Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month, which gets you the Premiership, the Champions Cup, the Challenge Cup, and the autumn internationals. ITV and Amazon Prime cover the Six Nations — ITV free with a UK TV licence, Amazon Prime £8.99 per month (which is also a Premier League and NFL streamer when bundled with those products).
A full UK rugby viewer’s setup: TNT (£30.99) + Amazon Prime (£8.99) = £39.98 per month, with ITV free.
Useful editorial sources
- Football UK broadcaster guide — the other Saturday rights battle
- UFC UK broadcaster guide — also on TNT Sports
- Cricket UK broadcaster guide — Sky Sports Cricket
The 2026 Six Nations runs from the first weekend of February through Super Saturday in mid-March. The Premiership final is the third Saturday of June at Twickenham. The Champions Cup final is the second or third Saturday of May.