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Men’s Six Nations rugby will remain on free-to-air television, ending speculation the tournament could go behind a paywall from next year.

BBC and ITV have secured the rights to continue broadcasting the competition until 2029.

The rights include live matches, highlights, and digital clips from all 15 games each year.

ITV will broadcast ten of those games live each season including every England fixture.

BBC Sport meanwhile will also offer live coverage of the Women’s Six Nations and Under-20 Six Nations.

The prospect of the competition moving behind a paywall drew cross-party criticism in the Senedd.

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of sport at the BBC, described the deal as “fantastic news for rugby and the BBC” and said it would keep the sport accessible for as many people as possible”.

He continued: “We are proud to bring the biggest sporting moments to our audiences and this new deal is the perfect news ahead of our exclusive broadcast coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup this summer.

“This is an exciting time for rugby, and we are proud to share every thrilling moment with audiences across the UK.”

ITV director of sport, Niall Sloane, said it was a “monumental deal for rugby fans”.

“We are proud to be the home of all England matches for the duration of the deal including England’s much revered clashes with Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

“The tournament is always one of the sporting highlights of the year, so we look forward to continuing to work with Six Nations Rugby and each union and federation moving forward.”