Premiership Rugby matches will be shown live on terrestrial television for the first time inext season, The Talk of Rugby can disclose.

The Daily Telegraph revealed last May that BT Sport, which has the exclusive rights to the Premiership until 2021, was considering allowing several matches to be shown on a free-to-air broadcaster.

Now it can be revealed that a four-year deal, understood to be worth more than £1 million, has been struck with free-to-air broadcaster Channel 5 to show five live games from next season.

Channel 5 will also broadcast a highlights programme every Sunday night, covering Premiership Rugby, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and Premiership rugby sevens, replacing the show that is on ITV now.

While the BBC used to broadcast live matches in the Heineken Cup before the tournament organisers sold the rights to Sky Sports in 2003, this would be the first time that top-flight English league matches have been shown live on terrestrial television.

Under the new contract, agreed after a competitive bidding process, Channel 5 will ‘simulcast’ five live games with BT Sport, who will continue to broadcast up to 80 live Premiership games per season.