The public service retains six of the most beautiful posters from this 2026 edition, and ensures sublicensing its rights “exceptionally”.
The action had been in the works for several weeks. It is now official. This Tuesday, France Télévisions announced that it would resell the broadcast rights for nine of the fifteen matches of the 2026 Six Nations Tournament to TF1, including Wales-France (February 15) and Scotland-France (March 7).
Last June, the public service broadcaster renewed its exclusive contract until 2029 to broadcast the matches of the flagship European rugby competition. In its press release, France TV, in the grip of financial difficulties, affirms that the choice to sell a third of the matches of this 2026 edition has been made “exceptionally”.
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“Very strong budgetary constraints”
“Due to the very strong budgetary constraints imposed on the company in 2026, France Télévisions, following an agreement concluded with the TF1 group, is sublicensing the broadcasting rights for 9 of the 15 matches which will mainly be held during the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games”specifies the press release.
A big blow for TF1, which has already acquired the rights to the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and which will broadcast the six matches of the French XV during the Nations Cup, a new international competition which begins next July.
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