SANZAAR and the Six Nations unions have agreed to combine their media rights and sponsorship operations for the first time, establishing a ten-union commercial partnership that brings together South Africa, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and the six northern hemisphere unions.
Under the proposed arrangement, the southern hemisphere nations will participate in revenue generated through the Six Nations Championship and British and Irish Lions tours, while the northern hemisphere unions will receive a share of revenue from the Rugby Championship.
A new commercial agency, to be established by the existing management board, will oversee the sale of the pooled rights and sponsorship inventory. Collective sponsorship sales are expected to begin in 2028, followed by media rights sales in 2029, when the existing separate commercial agreements expire.
South African reports indicate that the new venture will provisionally operate under the name F10, bringing together the four SANZAAR nations and six Six Nations unions. Its commercial portfolio is expected to include the Six Nations, Rugby Championship, Nations Championship, British and Irish Lions tours and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixtures.
The proposed structure will also include the appointment of a chief executive to lead the commercial operation.
However, revenue distribution will not be equal across all ten unions. England and France are expected to receive larger shares, reflecting their commercial influence, while Japan and Fiji are reportedly set to receive participation fees rather than a share of centrally generated revenue.
The arrangement also proposes that promotion and relegation will not apply to the ten F10 unions, representing a departure from a principle included in World Rugby’s 2023 council approval.
For African broadcasters, the implications could be significant. SuperSport has historically acquired Rugby Championship and British and Irish Lions broadcasting rights as separate properties. A centralised commercial agency selling these competitions as part of a combined portfolio could fundamentally change the pricing structure and negotiating dynamics for future broadcast agreements.
With the new media rights cycle expected to begin in 2029, broadcasters across Africa will need to assess how the consolidated model could affect access to premium international rugby content, acquisition costs and long-term rights negotiations.
The development signals a broader shift towards collective commercial bargaining in global sports, potentially strengthening the negotiating power of major rugby unions while creating new challenges for broadcasters seeking to secure premium sports content.
