Rugby fans around the globe gather around to watch the Six Nations live. However, when the live stream isn’t available, at least not for free, many are exasperated. Paid channels that broadcast the Six Nations live are pretty expensive – bad news.
On the other hand, a few free channels broadcast the Six Nations 2024 live but they’re geo-restricted. Bad news? Not exactly! With the workaround that we’ll discuss today, you can unblock these channels and stream rugby without paying a dime for them.
We’ll go over a few free channels that stream the Six Nations live, check out a few paid options, and clarify everything you should know about this exciting event. Rugby fans, gather around again and let us together see who will win this year’s strife.
Stream the Six Nations Live for Free With This Fix
If you can’t access the Six Nations 2024 livestream in your country, don’t be up in arms. You need a reliable VPN that will alter your IP and let you unblock France TV, BBC, ITV, or RTE, where the Six Nations live stream can be found. On France TV, you’ll find all the matches of the Six Nations championship live.
We recommend ExpressVPN with 105 countries. See how to use it for this case.
- Subscribe to ExpressVPN. Claim its 49% discount with 3 free months for the 1-year plan on the link below.
- Install ExpressVPN and connect to a French server.
- Visit France TV, make a free account, and watch the Six Nations for FREE.
Free Channels to Watch the Six Nations 2024 Live
The Six Nations is a rugby championship with 6 teams battling it out for the title. These 6 countries include England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. Watching the Six Nations live is possible in the US, Australia, Canada, and so forth.
However, since the championship is European, these countries don’t have free access to it – more about that later.
We did a bit of digging for you and found a few FREE European channels that stream this championship:
- UK: ITV & BBC (10 and 5 matches respectively)
- France: France TV (ALL matches)
- Ireland: RTE (All Ireland matches)
All of these channels are free but as you can see, not all will stream the entire event live. ITV, BBC, and RTE will broadcast with English commentary, which most will find more suitable. However, France TV offers the entire Six Nations live stream with French commentary.
For this specific reason, France TV is our recommended choice. Therefore, we will use France TV for this guide but feel free to try the trick we display below on BBC, ITV, or RTE. If you’re outside of these countries, you’ll have an issue.
Namely, Americans, Australians, Canadians, and many Europeans won’t be able to watch the Six Nations live on these free channels.
They’re geo-blocked, which can be remedied by obtaining an IP from any of these countries. To change your IP, you need to use a VPN.
How to Stream the Six Nations Live for FREE [3 Steps]
When discussing VPNs, it’s worth noting that not all are suitable for this purpose. Many, especially free providers, lack streaming optimization, hence they won’t work. We’ll discuss them in a few minutes.
For now, let us focus on the provider we recommend – ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, covering Ireland, the UK, and France. Moreover, the VPN offers the fastest speeds for streaming, allowing even 4K streaming as a result. To watch the Six Nations live on a free channel, this VPN will be more than welcome.
Follow the steps below to see how to use it – we have only 3 simple steps!
1. Get ExpressVPN
You’ll need to subscribe to ExpressVPN to use it. The VPN isn’t free but it offers a significant 49% discount with 3 free months for the 12-month plan. On top of that, this provider has a 30-day money-back guarantee with a 7-day free trial on iOS/Android.
This allows you to get a full refund in the first 30 days if you don’t need it after streaming the Six Nations live. As a result, you can do it without losing money. Now, the championship lasts 5 weeks, so technically, you won’t be able to watch the entire thing in this case.
But the good news is that ExpressVPN offers plenty of benefits, such as online security, anonymous torrenting, and access to many other sports events. That said, getting a refund may not be particularly smart. Plus, paid channels are WAY more expensive than this VPN.
While ExpressVPN is over $6.6 a month, the average price for paid channels that stream the Six Nations live is well over $15. Either way, get its special discount using the button above. Provide your email address, choose the plan, and subscribe. From here, download and install ExpressVPN to your device.
Finally, open the application and sign in with your email/password or activation code – whatever you find suitable. Once the dashboard opens, it should look like the one below.
2. Connect to a Server in France/UK/Ireland
Once in the app, open the server list by clicking on the three horizontal dots under “Selected Location.” Under All Locations/Europe, find one of the three countries. For this scenario, we’ll use France but if you care about English commentary, don’t hesitate to go for Ireland or the UK.
Once you locate the country you want, double-click on it or tap once on iOS/Android to connect to a server in that country. ExpressVPN will turn green, which means you’re ready to move to Step 3.
3. Watch the Six Nations 2024 Live Stream for Free
Finally, go to the channel you want to access. In our case, it’s France TV, where we made a free account and started watching. All three channels require a free account – ITV, BBC, and France TV. However, this takes 30 seconds to make and – as said – costs $0.00.
We want to quickly address the question of legality regarding this trick. Yes, it’s legal to use a VPN and watch the Six Nations on a free channel. However, it’s against the terms and conditions of France TV, RTE, BBC, or ITV, as they’re geo-restricted for a reason.
They’re licensed to display and broadcast their content only in specific countries. Since you’re abroad, you shouldn’t be able to see it. While you won’t end up in jail or anything similar, we want to clarify that 01net doesn’t condone violating copyrights.
Paid Channels for Streaming the Six Nations Live
If you’re in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Italy, you’ll be presented with a wealth of channels to watch the Six Nations 2024 live. However, as you’ll soon find out, they’ll be extremely expensive compared to ExpressVPN.
So, let us start:
- US: NBC ($5.99 a month) and Sling TV Blue ($40 a month)
- Canada: DAZN (CAD 24.99 a month)
- Australia: Stan Sports (AU 10 a month for Sports)
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ (NZD 40 a month or NZD 400 a year)
- Italy: Sky Sport (Sky TV + Sports €50 a month)
NBC is the cheapest here at $5.99 a month but this channel offers only streaming – be it sports or series/movies. All other channels are well above $10, with Sling TV Blue being a whopping $40 a month. Bear in mind these are typical channels with no other benefits.
Plus, they’ll be geo-restricted for some of you, so you still need to buy a VPN. With ExpressVPN, you’ll pay a tad over $6 a month and get access to FREE channels, including many VPN benefits like security, streaming on Netflix, torrenting, and so forth.
In our opinion, paying for an expensive sports channel is never worth it. Get a VPN instead and you’ll unblock a load of free channels anywhere. If you’re interested, read our guide on watching MotoGP live for free – it’s as simple as this one.
Best VPNs to Watch the Six Nations Online for Free
Unblocking the Six Nations live stream comes down to a quality VPN and impeccable performance. Well, the three VPNs below are your best choices for enjoying this thrilling championship for free anywhere.
1. ExpressVPN
Pros
- Servers in the UK, Ireland, and France
- Unlimited bandwidth for streaming
- TrustedServer Technology
- AES-256 encryption protocol
- 24/7 support through live chat
- It’s the fastest VPN
Cons
- It could be more affordable
ExpressVPN is our obvious favorite. It packs 3,000+ servers dispersed across 105 countries and more than 160 locations. Apart from the phenomenal performance of the Lightway protocol, the VPN is optimized for streaming on a variety of platforms.
Yes, it lets you stream the Six Nations live on a free channel but also unblock Netflix, Disney+, and even Paramount Plus. We like its easy-to-use apps for all platforms, with an exquisite 8 simultaneous connections – more than the next two VPNs.
ExpressVPN includes a variety of security features. Some of them are AES encryption, a kill switch, and RAM-only servers. However, the VPN has 10 Gbps servers too, with full P2P optimization on all of them. This will allow for fast and secure torrenting.
One of the best things about ExpressVPN is unlimited bandwidth. As such, it’s perfect for streaming the Six Nations live in 2024 from start to end. For those more advanced, ExpressVPN includes Threat Manager for blocking trackers and ads.
Better yet, there’s Parental Control if you want to block access to porn. ExpressVPN has round-the-clock 24/7 live chat support if any issues arise. But from our experience, issues with ExpressVPN are rare – they practically don’t exist.
Granted, ExpressVPN is the most expensive of the three VPNs. If we factor in a 49% discount and 3 free months for the 12-month plan, it becomes more valuable. Oh, and there’s the Keys password manager in every plan, making the VPN even more equipped.
2. CyberGhost
Pros
- Servers for streaming
- Automatic kill switch
- Certified no-logging policy
- IP leak protection
- WireGuard/OpenVPN protocol
Cons
- Lacks obfuscated servers
- 14-day refund policy for the monthly plan
CyberGhost can handle all your streaming needs effortlessly. Its 11,600+ servers are capable of unblocking ITV, RTE, BBC, or France TV faster than you can snap your fingers. Its WireGuard protocol ensures top-level performance, so experience quality is the highest possible.
One perk of CyberGhost is the inclusion of an ad blocker. We noticed it blocks even YouTube ads efficiently. Furthermore, the VPN offers the kill switch for added IP leak prevention. Even more welcome is split tunneling, helping you route only a part of your traffic through the VPN.
Our team uses CyberGhost for its NoSpy servers. They’re equipped for additional security and privacy, as they’re directly operated by CyberGhost. Like ExpressVPN, this one holds no logs of your IP address and browsing history, allowing for anonymous browsing.
We shouldn’t forget about its streaming/torrenting servers either. Torrenting servers are in 70+ countries while streaming servers work with Netflix, Prime Video, and other services. CyberGhost has 7 simultaneous connections, so it’s slightly inferior to ExpressVPN.
It also lacks obfuscation, making it useless in China. Well, there’s a silver lining – don’t worry! This VPN is VERY cheap and costs around two bucks a month. This is insanely affordable, especially with a 45-day money-back guarantee for all longer plans.
CyberGhost includes dedicated IPs and allows you to use its antivirus for $1 a month. All of this makes for a perfect VPN to watch the Six Nations live stream on a free channel. Test it out risk-free through the button below and start streaming now.
3. NordVPN
Pros
- NordLynx security protocol
- Servers in 60+ countries
- 2-year plans are very affordable
- Obfuscated servers
Cons
- It could offer more simultaneous connections
- Seldom connection issues
NordVPN is another option our team tested. We’re confident to say that it works like a charm thanks to hundreds of servers in Ireland, the UK, and France. NordVPN is blazing-fast, with 10 Gbps servers that draw their power from the NordLynx protocol.
This one is based on WireGuard, which explains its performance. NordVPN is an industry-leading VPN with advanced security and properly optimized apps. It’s equipped with Double VPN servers to double your encryption – no such thing in ExpressVPN or CyberGhost.
Next, there’s Threat Protection that includes antivirus, anti-malware, and an ad blocker. All of this is standard in EVERY plan, so no additional payments are needed. We appreciate NordVPN because of its P2P servers but also because of its streaming ability.
It easily works with 20+ Netflix libraries and can unblock said channels in seconds. NordVPN has only 6 simultaneous connections, which is 2 less than ExpressVPN. Also, its high-tier monthly plans are pricier, but its 2-year plans are surprisingly fathomable.
Even on a budget, users can get and enjoy NordVPN for as little as over $3 a month. If you pay a speck more, you can get NordPass or NordLocker with your subscription. NordVPN’s forte is privacy and if you do your research, you’ll see that it keeps no logs.
Of course, other features like AES-256 encryption, 24/7 support, and obfuscation are here. Give it a shot through the button below and experience NordVPN’s vision of cybersecurity. Don’t be afraid – you have a 30-day refund policy!
Should I Try a Free VPN for the Six Nations Live Stream?
The final thing we should address in this Six Nations live stream guide is the free VPN.
So, are free VPNs going to work? Highly unlikely. As said, free channels for watching the Six Nations live are in the UK, France, and Ireland.
However, if you look at reliable free services, you’ll find that none have servers in these countries. Ireland isn’t the most popular VPN location and the same could be said about France. As for the UK, very few free providers offer it.
Free VPNs like Atlas VPN, Windscribe, and PrivadoVPN are limited to 10 GB (or less) of bandwidth per month. There’s ProtonVPN with unlimited bandwidth but the service offers VPN locations only in the Netherlands, the US, and Japan.
Free providers are also way slower and their streaming ability is impaired from the get-go. They’re not made for this purpose and some of them forbid P2P (ProtonVPN/TunnelBear).
Some free VPNs that people use aren’t even secure. Hola, Betternet, and Urban VPN, to name a few. We don’t recommend free providers unless you want to be disappointed. Albeit, it might be better to test a few and see what you can do. Our recommended course of action is to use a premium VPN for free.
ExpressVPN has a 30-day refund policy, while CyberGhost offers 45 days. You can pay for them, use them to stream the Six Nations live for free, and be refunded. This sounds way smarter than using a 100% free service that, either way, won’t work.
The Bottom Line
With the 3 simple steps we divulged, watching the Six Nations live on a free channel is more than simple. Get ExpressVPN, obtain a French IP, and go to France TV. Make your free account, and voila – watch the entire championship from start to end.
If you find ExpressVPN a bit less affordable, CyberGhost or NordVPN can be considered. However, according to our tests, ExpressVPN is the #1 option here. With its hefty discount and 3 free months, you can’t go wrong if you factor in all the other benefits.
