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Itoje, who leads England for the first time in Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Ireland in Dublin, issued an impassioned plea, pointing to how he grew up watching the championship on the BBC and ITV.
The two broadcasters currently share the rights to the championship but the existing deal ends after this year’s championship. The Six Nations is not on the list of the government’s “crown jewels” – sporting events that are protected and must be shown free-to-air – and organisers are said to be open to a bid from a subscription broadcaster and TNT is known to be strongly considering a bid.
A subscription broadcaster is likely to pay more for the rights to the championship but would not have the reach of the BBC and ITV. England’s victory over Ireland last year attracted a peak audience of 6.6 million viewers while some fixtures can approach 10 million.
An arrangement that would see some of the tournament remain on free-to-air is considered a realistic possibility while organisers have encouraged unions to show flexibility over kick-off times in an effort to appeal to broadcasters. As the Guardian revealed, the Rugby Football Union would consider staging matches on Friday nights at Allianz Stadium if it worked for broadcasters.
Asked if he believes the championship should stay on free-to-air TV, Itoje said: “Yes, I think 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 …
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