SPL Extends TV deal with Sky & ESPN till 2017
The Scottish Premier League have secured a new five year deal with Sky Sports and ESPN to continue showing 60 football matches a season.
The Scottish Premier League have secured a new five year deal with Sky Sports and ESPN to continue showing 60 football matches a season.
The current deal was due to run out in 2013 and the new deal sees a 20% increase in revenue for the clubs of 80 million pounds.
The deal on screen will remain similar with Sky Sports being the senior partner, having all four old firm matches a season along with matches from the top six of the split at the end of the season.
The SPL’s chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “Sky Sports and ESPN are two of the biggest names in sports broadcasting and the SPL has enjoyed an excellent relationship with both broadcasters over the course of the current contract, a period which has seen a 28% increase in viewing figures.”
Sky and ESPN took up the right after the collapse of Setanta Sports in 2009 in a deal which was around 65 million pounds. There has been rumors since, about a SPL channel which the league did hire IMG to look into the possibility but this was dropped. This new deal sees some security for the Scottish game on screen after some difficult times on and off the pitch.
Ross Hair, managing director, ESPN – Europe, Middle East and Africa, “The Clydesdale Bank Premier League has been an important part of our schedule in these first two-and-a-half seasons of our local ESPN channel in the UK and Ireland. Scottish football has performed well on ESPN as we work to build our brand locally and develop our long-term business. We are very proud of the coverage that we’ve delivered to fans and are very pleased that they have responded with great support and an increasing connection to ESPN on TV and across digital media. We’re very excited to continue our coverage and pleased to extend a great partnership with the league.”
ESPN’s coverage of Scottish football has broken new ground in bringing fans access, innovation and opinion, and is led by Ray Stubbs with commentary from Derek Rae (pictured right) and Craig Burley with matchday reporting from Darrell Currie. David Tanner leads the coverage for Sky Sport with commentators Ian Crocker and Andy Walker.
