Rugby Union’s Six Nations will remain on free-to-air television until at least 2017 after the BBC signed a new four-year contract extension.

With two years still left on the current deal, the BBC have secured the future of a tournament that they were under threat of losing following recent huge budget cuts. However, as with Wimbledon, which they also recently renewed, the broadcaster views the Six Nations as one of it’s ‘crown jewel’ sporting events that they desperately need to keep hold of.

The BBC will remain the exclusive broadcaster of the tournament-the biggest annual rugby event in the Northern Hemisphere-across television, radio and online.

Despite being forced to make cutbacks in many areas of their sports output, the BBC have retained the rights to show the most prestigious competition in tennis for an extra three years on top of their current deal, which now runs until 2017.

But 24 hours after that announcement, speculation surrounding the future of the French Open was confirmed after ITV announced they will be the free-to-air home of the second Grand Slam event of the year until 2014.

Wimbledon has become synonymous with the BBC since it was first covered back in 1927, and has always been seen as a ‘crown jewel’ for the broadcaster. Despite recently losing half of the live Masters golf tournament and Formula 1 races, plus the World Athletics Championships, Paralympics and Championship football matches, there was never any danger of Wimbledon going anywhere, especially with the cosy relationship between the broadcaster and the All England Club.

However, they were understandably far more open to losing the French Open rights, so ITV swooped in. Having previously been hidden behind the red button on the BBC (barring singles finals and certain Andy Murray matches), ITV4 will now show six hours of live coverage daily from Roland Garros, while the men’s and women’s finals, along with two other matches during the tournament will be broadcast live on ITV1.

Next year’s event will be the first top-level tennis on the commercial network since the ATP Masters was shown on the ill-fated ITV Sports Channel back in 2001, although they have televised the senior tournament from the Royal Albert Hall for the last four years.

Meanwhile, pay-TV rights for the French Open are expected to be retained by Eurosport, although no formal deal has been announced.