Jonathan Joseph© (Photo by Steve Bardens - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Labour's shadow sports minister has welcomed reports of an unlikely alliance between the BBC and ITV as they bid to gazump Sky and keep the Six Nations on terrestrial television.

The current contract with the BBC, worth £40 million a year, is due to run out in 2017. The combined bid between the two broadcast rivals is reportedly worth £50 million a year. A decision on the new deal is expected by the end of the week.

Clive Efford, Labour's sports minister, claims it would be a "huge mistake" for the tournament to be limited to pay TV.

Efford told the Press Association: "I welcome the BBC and ITV working together to ensure Six Nations stays on free-to-air television.

"It would be a huge mistake for another rugby competition to be put on subscription television, further limiting the exposure the sport gets, particularly to the next generation of potential rugby fans.

"If the Six Nations were to go to a subscription channel, politicians from all sides will inevitably be calling for the event to be A listed."

A listed events are protected by Ofcom regulations and must have live coverage made available to free-to-air channels. Currently, the Six Nations holds B category status, which allows pay TV channels to hold the broadcast rights, as long as highlights are made available to free-to-air channels. This gives it parity with golf's Open Championship and England Test matches, but below the Grand National and Challenge Cup final. 

The deadline for tenders was last week and expectations that Sky - which currently has the rights to England's autumn internationals - would win the rights outright did not materialise.

A combined bid from the BBC and ITV would please the Rugby Football Union, which sees value in the sport having a higher profile on terrestrial TV, while Sky subscribers benefit via the autumn internationals on Sky.

The Celtic unions however are understood to be more open to seeing the tournament on Sky or BT Sport, who hold the rights to the Aviva Premiership, if it means more income for them.