S4C will broadcast this year’s Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Men's Tour to Australia 2025, beginning with exclusive free-to-air live coverage of the opening match in a historic co-production partnership with Irish television channel, TG4.
S4C and TG4 will join forces to bring free-to-air coverage of the Lions first-ever fixture in Ireland, and the first sports co-production between the two public service broadcasters.
The opening match of the 2025 Tour will take place at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday, June 20 at 20:00 as the Lions face World Cup semi-finalists Argentina.
The game will be broadcast live and free-to-air exclusively on S4C in the UK and TG4 in Ireland, kicking off the Lions Tour under Head Coach Andy Farrell.
Following the Dublin clash, the Lions will depart for Australia for the nine-game tour, including Three Test matches against Australia.
Among those named in this year’s squad are Welsh internationals Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams, following strong performances during the recent Six Nations Championship.
S4C will also broadcast extensive same-day highlights of each game every evening, with all matches available live and exclusive on Sky Sports.
Sarra Elgan will present the coverage for S4C and will be joined by Lions legends Ken Owens, Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips for expert analysis, insight and opinion across S4C platforms.
Shortly after each match of the tour in Australia, a special vodcast will also be available on S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and S4C’s YouTube channel, hosted by Sarra alongside the presenting team, offering extended reaction, detailed discussion and behind-the-scenes access.
Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions, said: “It is fantastic that our first ever match in Ireland will have both Welsh and Irish language commentary thanks to S4C and TG4.
“Adding these free-to-air highlights compliments our existing broadcast mix alongside Sky Sports, who are the exclusive broadcast partner of The British & Irish Lions Tour in the UK and ROI.
“And this latest partnership will bring fans even closer to the action as we embark on what promises to be a memorable Tour of Australia.”
Sue Butler, S4C’s Head of Sport, said: “We’re delighted to bring live and exclusive free-to-air coverage of the opening match of The British & Irish Lions Tour to audiences in Wales and across the UK on S4C.
“Viewers can also enjoy extensive same-day highlights of every match during the Tour, bringing all the key moments and expert analysis to fans each evening.
“This historic fixture marks the first time the Lions will play in Ireland, and we’re pleased to be working alongside our partners at TG4 to deliver it.
“It's a great way to start what promises to be an exciting summer of rugby on S4C.”
Rónán Ó Coistealbha, Head of Sport at TG4, said: “TG4 is delighted to be part of the upcoming British & Irish Lions fixture on June 20.
“We look forward to working closely with our partners at S4C to deliver an exceptional viewing experience on television and online.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase top-level rugby and celebrate the strong connection between our nations through sport.”
The British & Irish Lions is a unique rugby union team comprising players from the national teams of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
The Lions men tour every four years. This year’s Tour follows a competitive 2025 Six Nations campaign, which played a key role in shaping this year’s Lions squad.
S4C will continue its summer of rugby with live coverage of the second test from Wales’ tour of Japan on 12 July.
Welsh and English commentary will be available on the Lions v Argentina match in Dublin on S4C. Welsh commentary is also available on highlights programmes.
