The 2026 Six Nations Championship kicked off with a bold and controversial change to its live television coverage: adverts shown during the match itself. For the first time, ITV — one of the UK’s key broadcasters of the tournament — has introduced split-screen advertising during live gameplay, a move that has ignited passionate reactions from fans, pundits, and the wider rugby community.
Traditionally, live sports broadcasts in the UK have kept commercials confined to halftime, pre-game, and post-game breaks. Rugby supporters in particular are accustomed to uninterrupted play on screen, valuing the rhythm and flow that reflects the sport’s physical drama. Yet, this year, ITV has opted to place two 20-second commercials in the heart of matches, specifically timed during natural stoppages in play just before scrums. While the left side of the screen continues to show live action with ambient stadium sound, the right side plays a standard advertisement with audio — a technique known as picture-in-picture advertising.
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