What Could Scottish Football’s Next TV deal Look Like?

A guest article by media expert Alex Marr aka SPFL Mediawatch

This well-researched opinion piece was written as a guest article for Scottishfootball.info by Alex Marr, a Scottish football fan media expert, and owner of popular twitter page “SPFL Mediawatch”.

We’re in the second season of the Scottish Premiership’s broadcasting deal with Sky Sports and Premier Sports, the latest iteration of the deal has seen record revenues, and an increase in matches broadcast.

However in an increasingly competitive streaming environment, Scottish football is still playing catch up for previous missteps.

With this current deal set to expire at the conclusion of the 2028-29 season, notably the same time as Premier League and English Football League contracts are up for renewal, we thought it was time we took stock of where we are in 2026, and what the SPFL should be exploring for the next renewal.

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The current deal and how we got here

The current broadcasting arrangements are actually an extension of a deal signed back in 2018. Sky Sports agreed exclusive rights for five seasons from 2020-21, with up to 48 live matches - or four live matches per ground - for a fee of £25m per season.

This deal was a significant increase from the previous joint Sky-BT deal from 2016-2020, however, a reduction in live matches often meant that many massive matches - including final day deciders for Europe and Relegation would be blacked out from TV selection.

As sole broadcaster Sky would also receive no penalty for not showing a full complement of fixtures - showing around 40 matches a season - with multiple matchweeks having no live televised matches.

In late 2022, Sky Sports and the SPFL agreed an extension - with the broadcaster showing up to 60 live games from 2024-25. The league also agreed a clause that a minimum of 42 matches would be broadcast.

The rights fee increased to £29.5m, but most excitingly Sky retained the first option on two further packages of 10 live games each for an additional £8m.

After Sky increased their live matches from the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League, the additional packages went out to tender, with Premier Sports signing the rights for these second-choice pre-split matches for a fee believed to be £3.2m per season.

In 2025, the Irish broadcaster increased their live games to include two Bottom Six matches, increasing their picks to 22 - or two per ground (excluding Celtic, who opted out of the deal).

The new deal totalling around £33m per season has certainly been far more favourable to Scottish football, with an increase in potential matches shown from 48 to 82 (however 68 were shown in 2024-25)

However, it still lags far behind a number of mid-sized European counterparts - Norway (£55m), Netherlands (£130m), Belgium (£75m).

There is still an issue regarding a number of selections at each ground. For example, at the time of writing Sky only have one selection left at Tynecastle after the 25th January - and may have to miss a potential title decider. Sky, the SPFL and Hearts can still agree to additional selections but Hearts are under no obligation to allow the TV cameras to any extra matches.

During the pandemic, clubs were also permitted to sell matches via Pay Per View on their own club channels. This was continued post-pandemic with clubs now able to sell five games each on their platforms, if they did not clash with live Sky weekend matches.

Averaging £13.12 a match and sold via often clunky platforms, with users being forced to sign up to 12 separate club TV accounts, with no option of a bulk discount - these matches have had limited success and revenue for clubs. For example, one Premiership club currently does not operate a livestreaming service as it is not currently seen to be financially lucrative enough to be worthwhile.

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What should a new deal look like?

Keeping in mind the current broadcasting arrangements and what has and has not worked in the past, we’ve created four priorities to stick to when designing the next deal:

• While retaining the Saturday 3pm blackout, there is little appetite among Scottish football fans to adopt other nations’ approach to broadcast every game live.

• Increasing the amount of upheaval for fans is something that should be avoided. As attendances are still the highest revenue driver for the majority of clubs - and fans are the lifeblood of the game.

• Ensuring that key moments are visible on major broadcasters for fans and the league.

• Reducing fear from broadcasters regarding ‘running out of TV selections’.

Balancing the four priorities has been the guide for our proposition - here is the SPFL Mediawatch Plan™️

The Deal

Potential matches based on the first 22 matchdays of 2025-25 will be included at the end of the article.

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• Package A - 60 matches:

  • The same current arrangements that Sky have agreed to - five matches at each ground across the season. These are the best fixtures and is the most lucrative package

• Package B - 24 matches:

  • Similar to Premier’s current deal but with two picks per ground for every club - and no exclusions which matchdays they can be selected from - only rule is no more than one match per matchday.

• Package C - Up to 60 matches:

  • Replacing the current pay-per-view model these are matches that have been scheduled outside the Saturday 3pm blackout due to European Competition, Cup Clashes, postponements or midweeks.

  • These matches cannot be moved for TV - and are secondary to any picks made by broadcasters in Packages A & B.

  • Maximum of five matches per ground.

  • Basic six-camera operations; aimed at channels online platforms - such as Sky Sports+ or Premier Player

• Package D - Every match not otherwise selected on Matchdays 33 & 38:

  • Ensuring that every moment of drama can be televised, this package is to ensure that broadcasters do not have a repeat of the 2022-23 where a final day Edinburgh Derby European shootout was left off Sky and PPV.

  • Allows for a Bundesliga-style Goals Show that bounces around the grounds.

• Package E - 30 Live Matches (Eiré Only)

  • One Saturday 3pm match to be broadcast in Ireland only

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The Benefits

This deal would see a grand total of two more matches moved across the season - and removal of the blackout on one matchday. Ensuring that match-going fans are not otherwise mistreated.

By doing so, it would increase the number of TV matches from the current maximum of 82 to potential of 152 - albeit probably closer to 130 in practice.

The SPFL would have more inventory to offer broadcasters - which could in turn allow the League to be higher up the priority list in discussions.

Clubs would remove the strain of marketing their pay per view matches domestically, allowing more focus on utilising other resources - and have a more reliable income stream.

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What could a new deal be worth?

Now this is the $64,000 - or more accurately £30m - question.

Any product is only as valuable as someone would pay for it.

It would be naive to say that Scottish football could achieve the same value per game for what I’ve referred to as Packages C and D - which would be the less attractive matches.

However, as noted both anecdotally, and in the famed Deloitte Report, Scottish football has been undervalued by broadcasters. With the added interest of Hearts’ credentials as a genuine challenger and rising domestic attendances - while retaining a strong base viewership of nearly 300,000 viewers per match - the SPFL will go into the next set of negotiations with a renewed sense of confidence and vigour.

Putting a ballpark fee is tough - and it’s clear that the billions that the English Premier League receive are fanciful numbers that are best ignored.

Based on what we’ve seen around Europe, and increase in value in the EFL deal in recent cycles, significantly north of £60m per season is where club chairman should be aiming at a minimum. The Scottish Premiership is a cracking product and it could be argued it is currently one of the most entertaining leagues in Europe.

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Who should be showing the league?

There is a reason I’ve designed packages similar to now. Sky Sports and Premier Sports would arguably be ideal partners.

But before you get the pitchforks out, let me explain…

Sky

As much as I and many others have had real frustrations with Sky, and that could be a full article in itself, they are still the best sports broadcaster out there - at least from a technical standpoint.

Since becoming the primary partner in 2020, they have upgraded their productions to include Ultra High Definition as standard for all live SPFL matches, with usually a minimum 14 camera production for their main live match. Editorially they almost always have a one-hour pre-match show - and have produced a number of documentaries - most recently on 150 Years of the Edinburgh Derby.

They still could and should do more to improve their product - especially when it comes to the promotion compared to that of the EFL and WSL (the latter of which has terrible viewing figures comparatively). I’m not going to even dignify “Baller League” with a comment.

Since the formation of the SPL in 1998, Sky have been the main broadcaster for 24 of the 30 Premiership seasons when this current rights cycle comes to a head in 2029.

They know how to do the big games - if only they could do it a bit more consistently.

A welcome move from the Comcast-owned network would be the launch of a “Sky Sports Scotland” channel - similar to how Sky operates in Austria and Germany. A channel that would show all the SPFL matches, classic SPFL matches, documentaries and potentially Sky properties such as Golf - with the Bob MacIntyre interest. That channel would be given a much higher prominence in Scotland (potentially an EPG slot of 402) compared to the rest of the UK&I, where it could be down on the second page of sports channels.

Maybe, that’s just my own pie in the sky thinking however.

Premier Sports

Premier, meanwhile, have continued to grow themselves a niche as an alternative option. Their stripped-back coverage has genuinely been refreshing - and has kept Sky much more honest with their selections.

While becoming the main broadcaster is a prospect that would probably give football chiefs a shiver down their spine, by reminding them of the Setanta-era, there is definitely a space for them in Scottish football broadcasting.

Everyone Else

Elsewhere, production quality across one other major player in the industry, for example, in recent seasons has seen a significant downward trajectory across multiple sports.

DAZN reportedly outbid Sky in 2020, but with a deal to show all the games. However a look at the current fracas that’s reached the Prime Minister’s office in Belgium does not exactly inspire confidence.

Big streamers like Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Apple all seem unlikely to involve themselves with Scottish football but they still should be considered.

Paramount, however would be the most likely, having secured Champions League rights from 2027. They are also the SPFL’s broadcaster stateside.

With BBC budgets already stretched, a free-to-air option like ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5 feels more likely to come from a sublicensing agreement from a Pay broadcaster similar to what the EFL has agreed with Sky and ITV or English Rugby TNT and ITV, than as a fully-fledged lead rights-holder.

As for the Beeb, there still is a place for Sportscene and I can’t see that changing. But for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t let them change the title music again. Their Friday night Championship coverage is much loved and their increase in live matches last season from 20 to (up to) 30 reflects its popularity for BBC Scotland.

Now let me know what you think….

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Appendix: Matches shown in each package

Based on Matchday 1-22 of 2025-26 Premiership season

• Package A

  • Matchday 1:
    Sat 2 Aug 17:30 Motherwell vs Rangers
    Sun 3 Aug 14:00 Falkirk vs Dundee United
    Sun 3 Aug 16:30 Celtic vs St Mirren
    Mon 4 Aug 20:00 Hearts vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 2:
    Sun 10 Aug 12:30 Aberdeen vs Celtic

  • Matchday 3:
    Sun 24 Aug 15:00 St Mirren vs Rangers

  • Matchday 4:
    Sun 31 Aug 12:00 Rangers vs Celtic

  • Matchday 5:
    Sat 13 Sep 15:00 Kilmarnock vs Celtic

  • Matchday 6:
    Sun 28 Sep 15:00 Livingston vs Rangers

  • Matchday 7:
    Sun 5 Oct 15:00 Falkirk vs Rangers

  • Matchday 8:
    Sun 19 Oct 12:00 Dundee vs Celtic

  • Matchday 9:
    Sun 26 Oct 12:00 Hearts vs Celtic

  • Matchday 10:
    Wed 29 Oct 19:45 Hibernian vs Rangers

  • Matchday 12:
    Sun 9 Nov 15:00 Dundee vs Rangers

  • Matchday 13:
    Sat 22 Nov 20:00 St Mirren vs Celtic
    Sun 23 Nov 15:00 Aberdeen vs Hearts

  • Matchday 14:
    Sun 30 Nov 12:00 Hibernian vs Celtic

  • Matchday 16:
    Sat 6 Dec 20:00 Kilmarnock vs Rangers
    Sun 7 Dec 15:00 Celtic vs Hearts

  • Matchday 20:
    Sat 13 Dec 20:00 Falkirk vs Hearts

  • Matchday 11:
    Wed 17 Dec 20:00 Dundee United vs Celtic

  • Matchday 18:
    Sun 21 Dec 13:30 Hearts vs Rangers

  • Matchday 19:
    Sat 27 Dec 12:30 Hibernian vs Hearts
    Sat 27 Dec 15:00 Livingston vs Celtic

  • Matchday 21:
    Sat 3 Jan 12:30 Celtic vs Rangers
    Sat 3 Jan 15:00 Dundee United vs Dundee

  • Matchday 11:
    Tue 6 Jan 20:00 Rangers vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 22:
    Sun 11 Jan 14:00 Dundee vs Hearts
    Sun 11 Jan 16:30 Aberdeen vs Rangers

• Package B

  • Matchday 2:
    Sat 9 Aug 17:45 Rangers vs Dundee

  • Matchday 4:
    Sun 31 Aug 14:00 Dundee vs Dundee United

  • Matchday 3:
    Tue 23 Sep 19:45 Falkirk vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 6:
    Sat 27 Sep 17:45 Motherwell vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 7:
    Sat 4 Oct 17:45 Hearts vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 8:
    Sat 18 Oct 17:45 Kilmarnock vs Hearts

  • Matchday 9:
    Sun 26 Oct 14:30 Aberdeen vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 12:
    Sat 8 Nov 17:45 St Mirren vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 14:
    Sat 29 Nov 17:45 Kilmarnock vs Dundee United

  • Matchday 15:
    Wed 3 Dec 19:45 Dundee United vs Rangers

  • Matchday 19:
    Sat 27 Dec 17:45 Aberdeen vs Dundee United

  • Matchday 20:
    Tue 30 Dec 20:00 Motherwell vs Celtic

  • Matchday 17:
    Wed 14 Jan 19:45 Falkirk vs Celtic

• Package C

  • Matchday 1:
    Sun 3 Aug 15:00 Dundee vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 2:
    Sun 10 Aug 15:00 Hibernian vs Kilmarnock
    Sun 10 Aug 15:00 Dundee United vs Hearts

  • Matchday 4:
    Sun 31 Aug 15:00 Aberdeen vs Falkirk

  • Matchday 10:
    Sat 20 Sep 15:00 Dundee vs Livingston

  • Matchday 3:
    Tue 23 Sep 19:45 Dundee United vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 7:
    Sun 5 Oct 15:00 Aberdeen vs Dundee
    Sun 5 Oct 15:00 Celtic vs Motherwell

  • Matchday 9:
    Sun 26 Oct 15:00 Rangers vs Kilmarnock

  • Matchday 10:
    Wed 29 Oct 19:45 Celtic vs Falkirk
    Wed 29 Oct 19:45 Kilmarnock vs Aberdeen
    Wed 29 Oct 19:45 Motherwell vs Dundee United
    Wed 29 Oct 19:45 St Mirren vs Hearts

  • Matchday 12:
    Sun 9 Nov 15:00 Aberdeen vs Motherwell
    Sun 9 Nov 15:00 Hearts vs Dundee United
    Sun 9 Nov 16:00 Celtic vs Kilmarnock

  • Matchday 11:
    Tue 25 Nov 19:45 Motherwell vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 14:
    Sun 30 Nov 14:00 Rangers vs Falkirk
    Sun 30 Nov 15:00 Livingston vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 15:
    Wed 3 Dec 19:45 Aberdeen vs St Mirren
    Wed 3 Dec 19:45 Celtic vs Dundee
    Wed 3 Dec 19:45 Falkirk vs Motherwell
    Wed 3 Dec 19:45 Hearts vs Kilmarnock

  • Matchday 17:
    Sun 14 Dec 15:00 Aberdeen vs Kilmarnock
    Mon 15 Dec 19:45 Rangers vs Hibernian

  • Matchday 18:
    Sun 21 Dec 15:00 Celtic vs Aberdeen

  • Matchday 20:
    Tue 30 Dec 19:45 Dundee vs Kilmarnock
    Tue 30 Dec 19:45 Hibernian vs Aberdeen
    Tue 30 Dec 19:45 Livingston vs Dundee United
    Tue 30 Dec 19:45 Rangers vs St Mirren

  • Matchday 17:
    Wed 14 Jan 19:45 Hearts vs St Mirren

  • Matchday 11:
    Tue 20 Jan 19:45 Livingston vs St Mirren