Overview
- Two 20-second picture-in-picture ads ran during natural stoppages in France v Ireland, with Samsung in the 17th minute and Virgin Atlantic around the 51st minute.
- Live play remained on a reduced window as commentary was lowered or muted, a change that prompted heavy criticism on social media for disrupting scrum build-ups.
- Springbok captain Siya Kolisi called the move disrespectful to the game, and Rassie Erasmus also signalled disapproval as fans likened the approach to American sports coverage.
- Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison and ITV commercial director Mark Trinder defended the format as new commercial inventory created during set-piece pauses, with audience and revenue impact to be monitored.
- ITV is reported to cover more than two-thirds of the roughly £63m annual UK rights fee, and any extension of in-play ads to events like the World Cup would require approval, while the Champions League plans constrained ‘L-frame’ ads from 2027–28 under new rights holders.