SPFL reveal 'strongest financial results in 132-year history' as cinch and Sky Sports deals hailed

The SPFL has announced a record set of financial results which have been hailed as the “strongest in the 132-year history of the league”.

The figures for the 2021-22 campaign show the SPFL returned its highest-ever turnover of £39,523,000, up 7% from £36,784,000 the previous year.

Club fees also increased to £29.71m, up 5% from £28.35m in season 2020-21 with additional payments including prize money and television facility fee payments from the Premier Sports Cup of £2.78m.

The accounts also show overseas income up 5% and aggregate staff remuneration down 6%.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster hailed title sponsors cinch and broadcast partners Sky Sports – who this week signed up to a new five-year £150m TV deal – as key contributors to the financial figures.

He said: “These record results are extremely encouraging for our game and reflect the positive impact of the cinch title sponsorship, the largest single sponsorship deal in the history of the league, and the ongoing support that we continue to enjoy from Sky Sports and our other broadcast partners.

“It’s also important to recognise the outstanding commitment of our small team at the SPFL, which works tirelessly on behalf of our 42 member clubs, and deserves huge credit for the way league operations continued through the pandemic.

“With two of our clubs in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since Season 2007/08, and on the back of our recently-announced long-term contract with Sky Sports, the SPFL can look forward with real confidence to the years ahead.”

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has hailed the 'extremely encouraging' financial results for season 2021-22. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Murdoch MacLennan, chairman of the SPFL, added: “It’s to the enormous credit of Neil and his management team that they have delivered the strongest set of financial results in the 132-year history of the league. These results, of course, reflect the resilience and performance of the 42 member clubs of the SPFL - and their hugely committed fans - in ensuring that the SPFL remains the most dramatic, passionate, and exciting league in European football.”

It has also been confirmed that Calum Beattie, the SPFL's company secretary for the past two years, has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Neil Doncaster.

Separately, and to strengthen the robustness of the SPFL’s executive team, Calum Beattie has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Neil Doncaster.

He said: “The recent work of the SPFL’s Strategy Group has been the catalyst for a range of initiatives across the commercial and operational sides of the business.

“There is a host of positive and exciting opportunities in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to assisting the Chief Executive in delivering these in my new role.”

Neil Doncaster added: “Calum has done fantastically well on the operational side of the league since he joined us in 2017, initially as Assistant Company Secretary, and then, from February 2021, as Company Secretary & Director of Operations.

“He fully deserves this promotion and will be a huge asset to me and the SPFL as we work together to drive forward the league for the benefit of all 42 member clubs.”

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