BT Sport, which holds exclusive Premiership Rugby live rights through to the 2020-21 campaign, is considering sublicensing a package of live free-to-air rights during the 2017-18 season, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
UK commercial broadcaster ITV currently shows free-to-air highlights on Sunday evenings, but the deal expires at the end of next season.
The newspaper said that up to 10 live matches could be shown on free-to-air television during the 2017-18 campaign, with ITV and public-service broadcaster the BBC likely to bid for the package.