In a notable change for sports broadcasting, ITV will not include in-play, in-picture adverts during its coverage of the Nations Championship in July. However, the network plans to reintroduce the 20-second slots, typically shown before scrums, for the November Tests and the upcoming Six Nations next year.

The decision stems from the extensive opportunities presented by ITV's schedule in July, particularly with the expanded 48-team football World Cup capturing significant viewer attention and advertiser spending being redirected.

During the Six Nations earlier this year, the scrum slots were available for purchase by prominent brands like Samsung and Virgin Atlantic. This advertisement format involved lowering the stadium audio, splitting the screen, and displaying the ad on the right-hand side, which some viewers found intrusive.

Tom Harrison, the Six Nations chief executive, acknowledged that these adverts could be perceived as "a little bit uncomfortable" for UK audiences. Unlike viewers in the US and Australia, who are accustomed to advertisements during play, UK fans typically see ads only around gameplay.

The Nations Championship features northern hemisphere teams from the Six Nations—England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy—competing against southern hemisphere teams such as South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina, along with invited teams Fiji and Japan. The tournament kicks off on Saturday with six matches, followed by more games on 11 July and 18 July, culminating in November.