Six Nations rugby must stay free to air, MPs say

Six Nations games such as Wales v Ireland are not given full protection for live free to air coverage on TV

The Six Nations rugby tournament must remain free to air, according to a report by MPs.

The competition is currently on a free to air television deal until at least 2025, but it is not included in the group A list of sporting events which protects full live coverage.

MPs on the Welsh Affairs Committee said live sports broadcasting "should strive to reach the widest possible audience".

The UK government oversees the list and said it has no plans to review it.

But it said is looking at whether changing the rules for digital platforms "would improve access to these events".

Earlier this month a UK government minister said the list of protected events could be amended if the Senedd called for that to happen.

In the report the cross-party group of MPs raised concerns about the potential pitfalls of streaming.

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"Any additional short-term injection of money does not reach the grassroots and is offset in the longer term by reduced awareness of and participation in the sport," they said.

"This is especially so for Welsh rugby union, which needs to rediscover its soul and aim to reach the maximum number of people in Wales," they added.

"We recommend that the government adds the Six Nations to group A of the listed sporting events, to ensure its status on terrestrial TV."

'We want to see the Six Nations protected'

Committee chairman and Preseli Pembrokeshire Conservative MP Stephen Crabb said: "We know that there are discussions going on around the Six Nations tournament, one of the most valuable rugby tournaments globally.

"Clearly people think that more money can be extracted by putting that behind a paywall.

"We're saying no, that should be part of the list of the jewels in the crown of sporting events that we protect and we want to see the Six Nations protected as a free to air event."

The findings are part of a wide-ranging inquiry by MPs into broadcasting in Wales.

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The report said that "witnesses noted the tension between two conflicting forces: the need to secure sufficient revenue for sports; and the importance of maintaining as wide as possible access for viewers".

Amazon Prime Video told the committee it did not think broadcasting sporting events on streaming services affected viewership. MPs said the firm stated "millions" of rugby fans had watched the sport on the service.

The report said that broadcasting revenue "has been crucial for Welsh sport, in particular rugby and football."

It said the WRU and FAW (Football Association of Wales) "told us the sale of broadcasting and media rights represented 40% and 40-50% of the income of the WRU and FAW respectively".

S4C 'needs greater certainty'

The inquiry also examined Welsh language broadcasting, which the MPs said IT was "vital" to continue to grow amid a changing media landscape.

They urged that S4C be given "greater certainty over its long-term funding".

"We note that the government has announced a review of the licence fee model. This will have implications for the delivery of Welsh language broadcasting by the BBC, and future funding of S4C," the MPs said.

"[The UK] government must give assurances that the review includes a reference to safeguarding Welsh-language broadcasting," they added.

A Department for Culture Media and Sport spokesperson said it was "vital that broadcasters promote Welsh culture and language through their content".

"The government's objective is to ensure the biggest sporting events are made available to the public throughout the UK which is why we have the listed events regime.

"While we have no plans to review the sporting moments covered by our listed events rules, our ongoing digital rights review is considering whether expanding the rules to cover digital platforms would improve access to these events."

A spokesperson for S4C said it "is pleased that the committee is so supportive of our work, and also supportive of the steps that would protect the visibility of S4C and our services as the broadcasting landscape changes".

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