2020 Six Nations live streams are now available, bringing us one of the biggest tournaments in international rugby. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy — the six nations in question — will play five rounds of matches over the next month-and-a-half to decide a champion.
Will Wales be able to defend last year's Grand Slam title? (They're off to a great start, having decisively beaten Italy in the Six Nations 2020 opener last weekend.) Can England use its loss in the finals of last summer's rugby World Cup as motivation to beat out its five rivals? Or can some team like France or Ireland make some noise in this year's Six Nations? Rugby fans are going to want to find out the answers to these questions in the second round of matches taking place this weekend, starting with the clash between Ireland and Wales tomorrow (Feb. 8).
You've got multiple ways to live stream the 2020 Six Nations, including cable TV and subscription streaming services. We'll also talk about how to use a VPN so you don't have to miss a moment of the rugby action.
The 2020 Six Nations started last weekend, and the second round of matches begins this weekend with Wales taking on Ireland Saturday (Feb. 8) at 9:15 a.m. EST/6:15 a.m. PST. Scotland vs. England follows at 11:45 a.m. EST/8:45 a.m. EST, with France and Italy closing out the weekend with a match at 10 a.m. EST/7 a.m. PST on Sunday (Feb. 9)
Matches continue over the next several weeks, with Round 3 taking place on Feb. 22/23 and Round 4 on March 7/8. The 2020 Six Nations concludes on March 14 with three final matches. We'll post a full schedule of who's playing who on what days at the end of this article.
Where to live stream the 2020 Six Nations
U.S. viewers can watch the 2020 Six Nations live through the NBC Sports Gold subscription service. NBC Sports Channel, the network's cable channel will air the matches on tape-delay a few hours after they're completed.
In the U.K., you can watch the 2020 Six Nations on BBC and ITV. Canadian rugby fans can follow the tournament by subscribing to DAZN.
How can I use a VPN to live stream Six Nations?
With matches taking place from now until mid-March, there's a chance you might be traveling during some portions of the 2020 Six Nations. If that's the case a virtual private network, or VPN, can be your friend. A VPN can mask where you're accessing the web from, so that you can use the same streaming services abroad that you would at home, so you don't have to miss a Six Nations match.
We've tested many different services to find the best VPN overall, and our pick is ExpressVPN. We like its mix of performance and customer support, and you can get a lower price by subscribing on an annual basis.
How can I live stream Six Nations?
If you want to watch the matches as they happen, you need to subscribe to NBC Sports Gold. NBC's subscription service costs $79.99 for year's subscription, and it includes all the Six Nations matches live and commercial free. You can also watch the matches on-demand if you miss the early-morning starts.
In addition to 2020 Six Nations live streams, the NBC Sports Gold rugby package also includes Premiership Rugby League coverage plus the Heineken Champions Cup. Your subscription to NBC Sports Gold runs through Aug. 16, and NBC automatically renews you for a new season, so make a note about managing your subscription if you don't want to auto-renew.
NBC Sports Gold is a standalone service, available to cable subscribers and cord cutters alike.
How else can I live stream Six Nations?
Cable subscribers may balk at paying $79.99 for NBC Sports Gold on top of their regular TV service can also watch matches on the NBC Sports Channel (NBCSN). If your TV package includes NBCSN, you can then watch the 2020 Six Nations on NBC's website or its mobile app (Android, iOS).
There's a catch, though — none of the 2020 Six Nations matches will air live on NBCSN; instead, they'll be broadcast on a same-day tape delay. It means you'll have to avoid spoilers online, but it's a less expensive way to get your rugby fix. The tape delays this Saturday aren't significant — NBCSN starts showing Ireland vs. Wales at 10 a.m. EST and Scotland vs. England at noon EST. In both cases, that's not long after the matches begin in real time.
If you don't have cable, you can turn to a subscription streaming service that carries NBCSN. Again, you won't be able to watch the 2020 Six Nations live, but it will be a cheaper option than the NBC Sports Gold package, especially if you're only interested in Six Nations matches and not the rest of NBC's rugby offerings. Here are your best options for streaming the 2020 Six Nations through NBCSN.
2020 Six Nations matches: complete schedule
Here's a complete schedule for the 2020 Six Nations.
Saturday, Feb. 1
- Wales 42, Italy 0
- Ireland 19, Scotland 12
Sunday, Feb. 2
- France 24, England 17
Saturday, Feb. 8
- Ireland vs. Wales, 9:15 a.m. EST
- Scotland vs. England, 11:45 a.m. EST
Sunday, Feb. 9
- France vs. Italy, 10 a.m. EST
Saturday, Feb. 22
- Italy vs. Scotland, 9:15 a.m. EST
- Wales vs. France 11:45 a.m. EST
Sunday, Feb. 23
- England vs. Ireland, 10 a.m. EST
Saturday, March 7
- Ireland vs. Italy, 9:15 a.m. EDT
- England vs. Wales, 11:45 a.m. EDT
Sunday, March 8
- Scotland vs. France, 11 a.m. EDT
Saturday, March 14
- Wales vs. Scotland, 10:15 a.m. EDT
- Italy vs. England, 12:45 a.m. EDT
- France vs. Ireland, 4 p.m. EDT
