BBC admits it may be unable to afford Six Nations rugby with the organisation facing an 'incredibly difficult' challenge to secure rights amid financial constraints

The BBC's outgoing director of sport has admitted the organisation may lose out on rights to broadcast the Six Nations amid concerns the tournament might not be shown on terrestrial television.

The tournament has traditionally been shown on free-to-air television, but the event is not protected like the FIFA World Cups, Olympics and Wimbledon.

Concerns have been raised over whether the tournament will remain affordable for the broadcaster, after reports emerged that the Six Nations could be sold as part of a bundle with a new World League. 

Barbara Slater told the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that the organisation's financial constraints have made bidding for sporting rights 'incredibly difficult'.

'We need a well-funded BBC if we are going to be able to continue to afford sports rights,' said Slater, who will retire next year.

'Sports rights in the UK have more than doubled in the past decade. BBC's income in real terms has gone down 30 per cent.

'It is incredibly difficult for the BBC to maintain, across a range of sports, the expectations of those governing bodies.

'With the Six Nations, like anything, we will have to assess the affordability at the time. Because it is very difficult for the BBC, on that trajectory of income, to continue to afford everything that we have.

'The truth is we're probably not going to be the highest bidder, and it will come down to individual governing bodies as to how they balance that reach and revenue.'

The BBC has been a long-standing broadcaster of the Six Nations, but was forced to join forces with ITV in 2015 to ensure the tournament remained on free-to-air television.

The broadcasters agreed a record £460million deal last year to keep the rights for the 2022 to 2026 cycle.

ITV are the 'senior partner' for the tournaments and hold rights to England, Ireland, France and Italy home games, while the BBC show Scotland and Wales home matches.

Slater's ITV counterpart Niall Sloane admitted to MPs there was 'no guarantee' the Six Nations and Rugby World Cups will remain on free-to-air television.