Scottish football TV blackout fears as Viaplay scale back amid $23m losses

There are fears the Scotland national side could be facing a TV blackout after Viaplay confirmed it is withdrawing from the UK market as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures.

The Scandanivian streaming company will also make 25 per cent of its staff redundant in plans to downsize and focus on its core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select services after accruing losses of $23m, throwing the future of its Scottish football broadcast deals into disarray.

Viaplay is the current exclusive rights holder for Scotland matches after securing a deal with UEFA last year to show all internationals, including friendlies, up to and including the end of the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign. Last month's wins over Norway and Georgia were shown on the subscription channel with the upcoming September internationals – including the Euro 2024 qualifier in Cyprus and the challenge match against England at Hampden – also on their schedule.

Viaplay is also current sponsors of the Scottish League Cup, which was rebranded midway through the competition last year, and hold exclusive broadcast rights for the tournament following its takeover of previous rights holders and sponsors Premier Sports last year. Dunfermline Athletic's penalty shoot-out win over Raith Rovers in Saturday's group opener at Stark's Park was shown live on Viaplay with Motherwell v Queen's Park scheduled to be broadcast this weekend.

The Viaplay Cup is pictured at Hampden Park. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

It is understood that all payments from Viaplay to the Scottish Professional Football League are up to date, and that the SPFL anticipates that League Cup matches will continue to be broadcast as scheduled this season. It has also been reported that the SPFL has already secured legal guarantees that the future funding for the deal which runs until 2027 will be honoured by the media firm’s parent company.

However, big question marks remain over the future broadcast of matches involving the national side with the Scottish Football Association not directly involved in negotiations due to the rights being sold centrally by UEFA, who provide guaranteed income under their centralisation model. Viaplay also has rights to show a selection of Scottish Cup matches but that deal, which only has one year remaining, was brokered by global sports firm IMG, who also pay the SFA a minimum guarantee.

The SPFL and SFA are yet to comment on Viaplay’s announcement, which will also involve withdrawing its platforms in the USA and Canada, following a strategic review of its products due to major financial losses caused by lower than expected subscription numbers and falling advertising revenue.

Viaplay CEO Jorgen Madsen Lindemann said: “We are today announcing a new strategy and plan, which includes, but is not limited to, focusing on our core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select operations (which make available a wide range of Viaplay series, films and documentaries through partners around the world); implementing a new operational model; downsizing, partnering or exiting our other international markets; rightsizing and pricing our product offering in the Nordics; undertaking a major cost reduction program; and conducting an immediate strategic review of the entire business to consider all options, including content sublicensing, asset disposals, equity injections or the sale of the whole group.”