The 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour goes behind a paywall again

Jared Wright 02 Nov 2023 7:30 AM

A general view of a British and Irish Lions' logo on a flag.

The British and Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2025 will not be on free-to-air television in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

All nine fixtures will once again be shown on Sky Sports, who have secured the exclusive broadcasting rights for an eighth consecutive tour.

Sky Sports to broadcast 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour

The Lions will take on Australian Super Rugby sides the Western Force, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels, as well as an Invitational Australia/New Zealand side in their touring matches and, of course, the three Tests against the Wallabies.

“We are delighted to be partnering once again with Sky Sports as our UK & Ireland live broadcast partner for the 2025 Tour,” CEO of The British & Irish Lions, Ben Calveley, said.

“Sky Sports have been an outstanding broadcast partner to The British & Irish Lions for many years. The quality of production, presenters, expert panellists, and overall analysis they deliver really enriches the series and makes for a compelling offering for fans watching at home.

“Preparations are really starting to ramp up for 2025 and we are hugely excited for the Tour. Sky Sports will play a key role in helping to further build levels of excitement and anticipation amongst fans and we look forward to working closely with them over the coming period.”

The Lions kick off their tour against the Western Force on June 28, 2025 with further warm-up fixtures against the Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies and an AUS-NZL Invitational team before their first Test match against Australia on July 19.