Ahead of the second weekend of action, ITV and the Six Nations will aim to build on the record-breaking viewership seen on ITV1.
Six Nations kicked off this year with a match between France and Wales. According to free-to-air broadcaster ITV, viewership peaked at 3.8 million across all devices.
While this is impressive, England‘s first game of the tournament against Ireland was watched by a peak of 5.2 million across all devices. This meant that ITV1 achieved its biggest overnight audience of the year so far.
Since the two matches finished, supporters have streamed the two games 3.7 million times on the broadcaster’s streaming platform ITVX.
The tournament’s next fixtures are set to be played this weekend, with Italy taking on Wales followed by England looking to secure its first win against France on Saturday 8 February. These matches will include insights from Mark Pougatch and Jill Douglas, who lead ITV’s coverage of the Six Nations.
Prior to the tournament, the Six Nations bolstered its digital strategy, which may have contributed to its viewership figures. Last week, the mobile video game Monopoly Go! partnered with the Six Nations to ‘enhance’ the fan experience.
This collaboration marks the first time the competition has worked alongside a mobile game, potentially emphasising a shift towards a new digital sponsorship strategy. Organisations in other sports have typically used video games to appeal to younger audiences like the Bundesliga’s recent deal with Roblox.
At the time of the partnership, Navin Singh, Chief Commercial and Growth Officer at Six Nations Rugby, said: “The experience of the Six Nations is unlike anything else in sport, and we are always exploring ways to enhance this experience for fans.
“As such, the new partnership with Monopoly Go! is hugely exciting, as it offers a global community of fans and players of the mobile game a unique and truly interactive way to enjoy the Six Nations beyond the action on the pitch.”
