Politicians in Britain have welcomed reports that the BBC and ITV have teamed up to keep the Six Nations on terrestrial television.
Labour's shadow sports minister Clive Efford claims it would be a "huge mistake" for the tournament to be limited to pay TV.
Efford said: "I welcome the BBC and ITV working together to ensure Six Nations stays on free to air television.
"It would be a huge mistake for another rugby competition to be put on subscription television, further limiting the exposure the sport gets, particularly to the next generation of potential rugby fans.
"If the Six Nations were to go to a subscription channel, politicians from all sides will inevitably be calling for the event to be A listed."
Coverage of the 15 Six Nations matches would be shared between the two broadcasters, with one showing the game live and the other providing highlights on an alternate basis, according to Wales Online.
The bidding has been opened to bid from pay-TV companies for the first time for the 2018 tournament onwards.
The partnership between BBC and ITV would boost revenue for the Six Nations and avoid the controversy of moving away from terrestrial coverage.
An official announcement is expected imminently according to the report, possibly before the end of this week.
