Gabby Logan responds as BBC loses Six Nations rights – and four other major sporting blows

Monday, 07 September 2026 at 07:11

bySteven Smith

The BBC no longer broadcasts England's men's Six Nations matches after a major shake-up of rugby's television rights — with several other famous sporting events also disappearing from the corporation.

For generations, the BBC was synonymous with the Six Nations, but England supporters now have to turn elsewhere to watch Steve Borthwick's side in the Championship.

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Under the four-year agreement running from 2026 until 2029, ITV broadcasts ten men's Six Nations matches each year, including every England fixture.

The BBC retains five live men's matches involving Scotland and Wales, alongside highlights, digital coverage and live radio commentary across the Championship.

It represents a significant change to one of British television's longest-running sporting relationships.

And the Six Nations is far from the only famous sporting event to disappear or be significantly reduced on the BBC in recent times.

Gabby Logan responded to BBC Six Nations change

Gabby Logan, one of the most recognisable faces of BBC Sport and a long-time presenter of its Six Nations coverage, spoke about the new broadcasting agreement when it was announced.

"You know I love Six Nations rugby – I think I once called it the perfect sporting championships," Logan said.

She went on to highlight the tournament's unique rivalries, six host cities and combination of physicality and skill.

Despite the BBC losing the rights to show England men's matches, Logan focused on the corporation remaining part of the competition.

She added that she was delighted the Six Nations would remain free-to-air and that the BBC would continue to play a part in its coverage.

However, the sporting landscape at the corporation has continued to change dramatically since then.

Ski Sunday axed after nearly 50 years

The latest blow came in September 2026 when the BBC confirmed that Ski Sunday would end after almost five decades.

First broadcast in 1978, the famous winter sports programme became a fixture of BBC schedules and introduced generations of viewers to alpine skiing.

BBC Sport cited changing viewing habits and the difficult financial decisions required to meet savings targets when explaining the decision.

Head of BBC Sport Events Philip Bernie described Ski Sunday as a "truly iconic programme", but confirmed it would not return.

The decision brought another long-running piece of the BBC's sporting output to an end.

Commonwealth Games

Another enormous change concerns the Commonwealth Games.

The BBC had been the traditional television home of the Games for generations, but comprehensive English-language live coverage of Glasgow 2026 moved to TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Channel 5 became the English-language free-to-air partner, showing the opening ceremony live alongside daily highlights.

The BBC does retain national radio rights, while BBC ALBA provides Gaelic-language live television coverage.

Nevertheless, viewers wanting comprehensive English-language live television coverage of the Commonwealth Games can no longer find it on the BBC.

The Boat Race

The BBC has also stepped away from another event with which it had been associated for almost a century.

The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race moved to Channel 4 in 2026 as part of a five-year television deal.

The BBC first broadcast the event on radio during the 1920s and televised it for the first time in 1938.

While there have previously been periods when ITV held the television rights, 2026 marked the first time the BBC did not carry the famous race in any format, with Times Radio taking the radio rights.

Olympics coverage significantly reduced

The Olympics haven't disappeared from the BBC — an important distinction — but its ability to provide the wall-to-wall coverage viewers once associated with the corporation has been reduced.

The BBC retains free-to-air Olympic rights through 2032, but Warner Bros. Discovery holds the broader European rights.

Under the arrangement, the BBC can offer two simultaneous live streams.

That's very different from the enormous choice available during London 2012, when viewers could access live coverage of every Olympic sport through the BBC.

2027 Six Nations fixtures revealed: England handed nightmare start

Here's your complete round-by-round guide to the 2027 Six Nations.

? ROUND 1

Friday 5 February 2027

☘️ Ireland v ? England
? Aviva Stadium, Dublin
? Kick-off: 8:10pm

Saturday 6 February 2027

? Scotland v ?? Italy
? Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
? Kick-off: 2:10pm

?? France v ? Wales
? Stade de France, Paris
? Kick-off: 4:40pm

? ROUND 2

Saturday 13 February 2027

?? Italy v ☘️ Ireland
? Stadio Olimpico, Rome
? Kick-off: 2:10pm

? Scotland v ? Wales
? Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
? Kick-off: 4:40pm

Sunday 14 February 2027

? England v ?? France
? Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
? Kick-off: 3:10pm

? ROUND 3

Saturday 20 February 2027

? Wales v ☘️ Ireland
? Principality Stadium, Cardiff
? Kick-off: 2:10pm

? England v ?? Italy
? Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
? Kick-off: 4:40pm

Sunday 21 February 2027

?? France v ? Scotland
? Stade de France, Paris
? Kick-off: 3:10pm

? ROUND 4

Friday 5 March 2027

? Scotland v ☘️ Ireland
? Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
? Kick-off: 8:10pm

Saturday 6 March 2027

?? Italy v ?? France
? Stadio Olimpico, Rome
? Kick-off: 2:10pm

? Wales v ? England
? Principality Stadium, Cardiff
? Kick-off: 4:40pm

? ROUND 5 – Super Saturday

Saturday 13 March 2027

?? Italy v ? Wales
? Stadio Olimpico, Rome
? Kick-off: 2:10pm

? England v ? Scotland
? Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
? Kick-off: 4:40pm

☘️ Ireland v ?? France
? Aviva Stadium, Dublin
? Kick-off: 8:10pm

England's fixtures

Round 1: Ireland (A)
Round 2: France (H)
Round 3: Italy (H)
Round 4: Wales (A)
Round 5: Scotland (H)

There's no easing into the championship for Steve Borthwick's side. A trip to Dublin followed by a home clash with France means England face arguably the two biggest title contenders in their opening two matches before attention turns to the Rugby World Cup later in the year.

If England are to arrive in Australia as genuine contenders, they'll need to hit the ground running in what looks like the toughest Six Nations start of any nation.

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