Double delight for SPFL as two new TV deals are agreed

Scottish football will be screened in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and North Africa after a new broadcast deal was signed.
Read More
Scottish Football Live: Betfred Cup scheduling '˜idiotic', Aberdeen expect 50-50...

The Scottish Professional Football League has announced a TV deal with beIN Sports which will cover 24 countries and run until June 2020.

Countries covered by the new deal include Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and Syria.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Picture: Ian RutherfordSPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Picture: Ian Rutherford
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Picture: Ian Rutherford
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The deal comes about six weeks after the SPFL terminated its previous overseas broadcast agreement after media rights company MP & Silva defaulted on payments amid financial difficulties. A new deal was signed with Infront agency on August 31.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “The termination of our previous agreement has opened up the possibility for us to make SPFL football available in new territories around the world, as this agreement with beIN Sports demonstrates.

“Work is continuing to ensure as many fans of Scottish football around the world are able to watch matches from the Ladbrokes Premiership, the Betfred Cup and the IRN-BRU (Scottish Challenge) Cup this season.”

Meanwhile, the SPFL has also agreed a £700,000-a-year deal with BBC Scotland to screen Ladbrokes Championship games, according to the Daily Mail.

The agreement will run through this season and next and see 20 live matches screened by the broadcaster.

These live games will take place on Friday nights and are scheduled to begin before the Christmas period. They will start on BBC2 before being moved to new dedicated Scottish channel when it begins in February.

The money raised from the deal will be put into the overall SPFL pot, meaning top flight clubs will receive a larger share.

Lower league chairman have reportedly been assured that this is in their best interests in the long-term. Pushing to secure a larger share of this deal may encourage top flight owners to do likewise when it comes time to agree a new TV contract for the Premiership.