Maro Itoje starts his reign as England captain on Saturday pleading with Six Nations chiefs to keep the tournament on free-to-air TV and not hide it behind a paywall.
Itoje, who leads his side for the first time against Ireland in Dublin has waded in on the debate warning rugby should be pulling out all the stops to attract mass coverage.
The current deal, with games split between ITV and the BBC expires at the end of the season and subscription channels like TNT Sports are sniffing around.
Fears are growing the annual showpiece disappear onto pay channels with BBC regular analyst, and Welsh legend, Jonathan Davies admitting this could be his final season after 27 years on the box.
Itoje said: “The Six Nations should be viewed by as many people as possible. I grew up watching the Six Nations on the BBC and on ITV. The fact that it’s been on free-to-air, for so many people – I think rugby needs more eyes on it, not less.
“Obviously I am not involved in the finances of the deals, but I think, even though international rugby is massive, the sport should be looking at ways to be more accessible to more people, as opposed to the opposite.”
TNT Sports broadcast every autumn international, which are also run by the Six Nations, last November and are said to have impressed the powers-that-be.
The November games and the Six Nations are all up for grabs in one package but the two free channels, which currently pay £450m over three years, are strapped for cash.
Tournament organisers would expect an increase on that figure – with the November games thrown in – and insist they will give free-to-air channels every chance to bid.
Insiders have revealed they would be willing to shift kick off times to the evening to accommodate non-subscription TV and not clash with football but money talks.
Beeb presenter Gabby Logan said rugby was ‘potentially shooting itself in the foot again’ with any move to pay-for-view.
Ellis Genge has played down the matter, however, insisting rugby has bigger concerns than its future on TV: “It’s unfair to look at people and point the finger and say it’s a bad thing to do, in the sense of you get a broadcast deal, highest bidder obviously gets the gig, and now you’ve got more money and you are upset about it. I’d say that on one side.
“On the other side of the coin, I’d also say you want to expand the audience and people that can’t afford to have, what, 140-odd quid a month for a TV subscription then it’s not fair. From that perspective, you talk about growing the game and they won’t be able to watch it.
“I think we’ve got a lot of problems, I don’t necessarily think the broadcast gig is at the core of it.”
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