The future of the Six Nations on the BBC remains in doubt after a record price tag of £100million a year was slapped on the competition’s UK broadcast rights.
The existing four-year deal, worth £90m per year, expires in March and the tender process is due to begin imminently, with interested parties preparing to pitch.
With budgets stretched and appetites changing under new leadership at the BBC, the competition’s free-to-air status hangs in the balance.
The BBC have publicly stated they will struggle to afford their long-standing share, opening up the possibility of a joint deal between ITV and TNT Sports.
Six Nations chiefs, based in London’s Victoria, are expected to stage an open process where all prospective rights-holders – from traditional broadcasters to streamers – are invited to bid.
A £100m a year price tag has been slapped on the UK broadcasting rights for the Six Nations
This has cast doubt over whether the BBC – whose rugby coverage is often fronted by Gabby Logan – will continue to show the prestigious tournament
TNT Sport will broadcast the upcoming autumn internationals, although the RFU are yet to announce their plans for the two England ‘A’ fixtures. The RFU are understood to have discussed a commercial partnership with Apple, opening up the potential for future streaming deals.
Harlequins line up Care successor
Harlequins are interested in signing Raffi Quirke as part their succession planning for life after Danny Care.
Care, 37, is out of contract at the end of the season and has a presenting deal lined up with TNT Sports.
He holds the appearance record for the London club and will be releasing an autobiography next month.
Will Porter is Care’s understudy while teenager Lucas Friday is a highly-rated academy prospect at the club.
But Quirke, who is currently injured, is reaching the end of his contract at Sale and could be an ideal fit at the Stoop.
Harlequins are also understood to be looking at Leicester centre Solomone Kata to inject physicality into their backline after the departure of Springbok Andre Esterhuizen last summer.
Danny Care is set to leave Harlequins when his contract expires at the end of the season
Raffi Quirke (pictured), who has two England caps, is viewed as Care’s ideal replacement
Peaty’s Bristol visit
Tom Bates, the mental skills coach at Bristol Bears, organised a treat this week by inviting Olympic champion swimmer Adam Peaty down to training.
Peaty showed one of his Olympic golds to the players during a presentation on Monday, before posing for photographs with the likes of Ellis Genge.
Bates is not the only Olympic sports psychologist working in the Premiership this season.
Oli Dixon has been coaching the players at Northampton Saints, having helped Nathan Hales win gold in the men’s trap shooting at Paris 2024.
Adam Peaty visited Bristol’s training ground and showed one of his Olympic golds to the players
What is The Rock cooking up?
Rugby producers at TNT Sports tapped into the Warner Bros film arm to recruit The Rock for their promotional campaign for the autumn series.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, famous for starring in WWE wrestling and numerous Hollywood movies, features in the promotions that were first aired last week.
TNT Sports are owned by Warner Bros and their broadcasting of the November internationals coincides with the release of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s latest movie Red One.
It is not the first time the sports broadcaster have tapped into internal crossovers, with stars of the Creed III movie previously helping to promote their boxing coverage.
The Rock lived in Auckland during his childhood and is the proud owner of an All Blacks jersey.
The Rock has been involved in a promotional campaign for the Autumn Series
Pique pops into Twickenham
Former football superstar Gerard Pique was at Twickenham on Wednesday morning, shortly before Steve Borthwick named his squad for the autumn.
Pique was a headline speaker at the Leaders Week sports industry conference, alongside the likes of MLS Commissioner Don Garber and former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham.
Pique was speaking on behalf of sports and entertainment group Kosmos but he did not have any engagements with the national rugby team.
Gerard Pique was at Twickenham on Wednesday to deliver a speech at a sports conference
Lions preparations already underway
Andy Farrell is yet to announce his coaching team for next year’s Lions trip but the touring team have already begun appointing support staff.
Jonny Fordham, who covered the 2021 tour of South Africa for the Sun, is one of the first to sign up. Now working for Premiership Rugby, the former reporter will be overseeing media operations in Australia.
Roc Nation celebrate milestone anniversary
Roc Nation Sports International, the agency owned by American rapper Jay-Z, has been celebrating its fifth anniversary this week.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is the standout rugby superstar signed up by Roc Nation as the agency celebrates its fifth anniversary this week
Headed up by Michael Yormark, their rugby stable has grown significantly since signing up Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in 2019.
Marcus Smith, Ardie Savea, Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje are among their superstar clients and Yormark insisted ‘the best is yet to come’.
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