Virgin Media Television has been confirmed as the exclusive free-to-air Irish broadcaster of the new Nations Championship, following a landmark agreement that will deliver unprecedented access to international rugby for fans across Ireland.
The timing of the announcement coincides with the broadcaster opening up this year’s Guinness Six Nations Championship with Ireland playing France in Paris tonight.
The Nations Championship, which will debut this July, is a joint venture between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, unifying the traditional July and November international windows into a single, biennial global competition.
Featuring the 12 strongest international teams and the world’s leading players, the tournament will pit the Northern and Southern Hemispheres against each other to determine global supremacy.
Under the new deal, Virgin Media Television will broadcast every Nations Championship match live, becoming the Irish home of the competition. The partnership places VMTV alongside major European broadcasters including ITV in the UK, TF1 in France and Sky Italia, ensuring wide free-to-air access across rugby’s key markets.
The agreement also represents a major step forward for Irish rugby coverage. From 2026 onwards, every Ireland men’s international played during the summer and autumn windows will be available free-to-air on VMTV. It marks the first time since the professional era began that Irish supporters will have universal free access to all major Ireland internationals outside of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, which Virgin already broadcasts, in a shared arrangement with RTÉ.
In non-Nations Championship years, the broadcaster will continue to show fixtures from both the Summer Nations Series and the Autumn Nations Series, providing year-round coverage as teams build towards Rugby World Cup 2027. The deal also brings significant new investment into the international game, aimed at supporting long-term growth across all participating unions.
Announcing the agreement, Mick McCaffrey, Director of News and Sport at Virgin Media Television, said the partnership represented a major moment for rugby fans.
“This is a hugely significant announcement and brilliant news for all rugby fans. Every Irish rugby international will be broadcast free-to-air for the next four years and cements Virgin Media Television’s role as the home of top-class international rugby,” he said.
“The Nations Championship is set to be a very exciting tournament with 12 of the world’s best teams competing across the summer and autumn. This is a key strategic investment for Virgin Media Television, and we are delighted to be broadcasting all 42 games live and exclusive.”
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said the partnership reflected the sport’s momentum heading into 2026.
“Fans in Ireland have guaranteed free-to-air access to the very best international rugby for the next four years, confirming Virgin Media Television as the home of rugby in Ireland,” he said.
“Coupled with significant investment to fuel the game, this partnership gives rugby an incredible opportunity to unlock its true value and drive long-term growth.”
The agreement was also welcomed by Irish Rugby Football Union. Chief Executive Kevin Potts said ensuring universal access for supporters was a key priority.
“This landmark agreement with Virgin Media Television represents a major step forward for Irish rugby and for our supporters,” he said. “Ensuring that every Ireland fixture is available free-to-air is hugely important to us, and we are delighted that fans across the country will be able to experience this new tournament in its entirety on VMTV.”
VMTV will broadcast all 42 matches of the 2026 Nations Championship, including seven Ireland fixtures. Ireland’s July pool matches will be away against Australia, Japan and New Zealand, while the November fixtures will be staged at Aviva Stadium against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa.
All 12 nations will compete on finals weekend in London, with match-ups determined by final pool standings.
Image Credit: Virgin Media
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