ITV has shelved its controversial in-game adverts for this summer's Nations Championship after a backlash from fans and a lack of commercial demand. The broadcaster introduced split-screen adverts during this year's Six Nations, allowing sponsors to appear on screen while play briefly continued during stoppages such as scrums. However, the adverts will not feature when the inaugural Nations Championship gets under way next weekend, with ITV instead focusing on its coverage of the FIFA World Cup.
Commercial decisions behind the change
According to The Guardian, advertisers have poured their budgets into the World Cup, leaving ITV unable to sell the in-game slots for the rugby competition. ITV has also decided against showing adverts during the three-minute hydration breaks introduced at the World Cup, despite the additional commercial opportunities they present. The broadcaster is said to have taken that decision because it did not want to further frustrate viewers after the breaks proved deeply unpopular with supporters.
Fans have regularly booed the stoppages inside stadiums, while FIFA's commercial regulations also limit how the breaks can be used. Despite not using the hydration breaks for adverts, ITV is enjoying a bumper tournament commercially, with The Guardian reporting that advertising revenues are running around 30% higher than those generated during Euro 2024.
Six Nations backlash
The split-screen adverts first appeared during this year's Six Nations after ITV secured the right to show one 20-second in-picture advert in each half of a match. Sponsors including Samsung and Virgin Atlantic took advantage of the format during the championship, with adverts appearing on the right-hand side of viewers' screens while live action continued in a smaller window on the left.
During the first ITV match this year, France v Ireland, viewers were quick to vent after an advert for a Samsung's Galaxy Fold Z7 phone was broadcast, with the commentary temporarily muted. Having been widely criticised online in the build-up to the match, fans quickly shared their frustration on social media after the advert break, with one telling ITV "this is not the US".
"I'm sorry, did ITV just interrupt the actual focus of their rugby coverage for an in-game picture-in-picture ad?," asked one. "AND we're starting in a Thursday this year? Game's gone." "Lol ITV muting the commentary for that ad was f***ing terrible," wrote another, while a third added: "ITV p*** off with the ads during rugby, this is not America. We don't need to see ads during live sport."
"ITV thanks for ruining a perfectly good game of rugby!!," said another. "Let people enjoy the sport without your money grabbing mitts! What's next, a conversion ad?!" "What is this bulls*** split screen ad about during live sport?," asked another frustrated viewer. "This is not the US - don't ruin our rugby with this s****!"
Future plans for in-game adverts
Under ITV's broadcasting agreement, the adverts can be shown at any point during a match provided they are limited to one per half and last no longer than 20 seconds. Although the format has been dropped for the summer leg of the Nations Championship, The Guardian reports ITV still intends to introduce the adverts for the European leg of the competition in November.
ITV holds the UK rights to every Nations Championship match for the first two editions of the tournament, in 2026 and 2028, ensuring it will broadcast every England fixture until 2029. The competition begins next Saturday with six live matches shown across ITV1 and ITV4, including New Zealand v France, Australia v Ireland and South Africa v England, before the channel switches to live World Cup coverage later in the day.
