SPFL in £150m Sky TV deal talks with more Scottish games to be broadcast live

The SPFL are locked in talks with Sky TV over a new and improved £150m broadcasting deal.

Record Sport understands discussions have kicked off with the broadcasters with the rights up for grabs from 2025 onwards. Sky have offered an initial package worth £30m per season – an increase of £5m per year on the current deal – and are poised to bump up the number of games screened from 48 to 60.

Talks are at an early stage and as yet no other broadcasters have come to the table. But league chiefs are hoping to thrash out further terms, with clubs keen to renegotiate secondary rights. Under the current deal, Sky own the rights to ALL SPFL matches and clubs cannot sell non-televised games to rival broadcasters or flog to their own fans on pay-per-view platforms in the UK and Ireland. There are also concerns from Scottish clubs over restrictions placed on clashes shown on the box – with sides at present not allowed to show more than six home matches a season, with the Old Firm insistent on just four home matches being shown.

Celtic and Rangers have refused to budge on the matter for several years in a bid to encourage punters to buy tickets. But it’s understood the stance may have softened and clubs are keen to showcase the key matches in Glasgow and the Scottish game that are being currently kept from the screens.

Negotiations are expected to continue but at present there are no other broadcasters making a move, with BT Sport understood to be against making a return to the Scottish game, despite positive feedback from fans under the previous deal before Sky took sole rights in 2020.

Meanwhile the Scottish Women’s Premier League announced an improved three-year deal with BBC Alba and BBC Scotland to screen live matches and