Scottish Rugby has welcomed news that the Six Nations is to remain on free-to-air television after a landmark deal was struck with two UK broadcasters. The existing joint arrangement with ITV and BBC is due to expire after this year’s championship leading to fears that future Six Nations could move behind a subscription paywall after TNT Sports declared an interest in obtaining TV rights. However, a new agreement has been reached with ITV and BBC that will see the terrestrial channels continue to share Six Nations coverage for the next four years. As part of the deal, ITV will show the majority of Six Nations matches, including all of England's games, meaning Saturday's match against Wales in Cardiff will be the last time England appear on the BBC until at least 2030. BBC coverage will include Scotland, Wales and Ireland games, except for matches involving England. Scottish Rugby CEO Alex Williamson said: “Scottish Rugby welcomes ITV Sport and BBC Sport continuing their support of rugby to broadcast the Guinness Six Nations through to 2030. The investment and commitment of both companies will enable everyone in Scotland to enjoy our largest tournament, which in turn helps to grow and showcase our sport. Rugby can’t be complacent and must use the next four years wisely to mature our engagement with younger audiences and build better digital models to remain relevant and accessible to all fans in the future.” The news has also been welcomed within the Murrayfield dressing room with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and co-captain Finn Russell delighted that matches will remain free-to-air. Townsend said: “We are being supported more than ever by the Scottish public. We feel that backing at the stadiums, but we are also aware of the millions of people who support us by watching on TV. Having all matches shown by ITV Sport and BBC Sport for the foreseeable future is a massive boost for the game and the competition. The Guinness Six Nations is the biggest annual tournament in rugby and having all of our matches available to be viewed by the largest possible audience will only help the competition continue to grow over the coming years.” Stand-off Russell added: “When the Guinness Six Nations comes around every year you can always feel a unique sense of excitement across Scotland. We really appreciate the backing of our fans and to have all of our games in the tournament available on TV to everyone across the country is a massive boost for the sport. It will only allow more people to get behind us which in turn will act as extra motivation for the players.” The deal reportedly represents a significant increase on the current £90million per year contract, which has been in place with ITV and the BBC since 2016, and provides the balance between reach and revenue that satisfies tournament organisers. Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said: “The significance of these new and innovative free to air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated. By strengthening rugby’s relationships with ITV and BBC, the sport can continue to give as many fans as possible in the UK access to enjoy live coverage of the Six Nations. These partnerships allow us to maximise audience reach whilst generating critical revenue for the game, enabling each Union and Federation to protect and grow the sport in their country in the coming years. “The increased commitment from the free to air sector is testament to the appeal and status of our iconic Championships. The commercial environment in which rugby is operating is extremely challenging and the battle for audience attention has never been greater, but the Six Nations stands alongside the very greatest occasions in world sport, which is reflected by these partnerships. Going into another incredible conclusion to the Men’s Championship, all parties are incredibly excited to build on this momentum and audience growth, to deliver the best possible experience for fans over the next four years.”