STV to expand sports portfolio

STV chief executive Rob Woodward has revealed that the broadcaster plans to invest in more sports programming in 2010.

The Scottish station, which currently televises local golf and rugby, is looking to expand its portfolio.

Woodward told DS: "We haven't yet confirmed our plans for 2010, but sport is an area we are keen to develop further. We're also looking at introducing a new sports programme into our schedule, so watch this space for details."

The channel previously had a long-running sports programme, Scotsport, which mainly focussed its attention upon SPL highlights.

This was until the rights were lost at the end of the 2006/2007 season, leading to a drop in ratings as BBC Two Scotland's Sportscene won rights to broadcast SPL coverage. Scotsport was then axed in May 2008.

It is not yet known whether the brand, recognised as the world's longest-running sports magazine, will return as part of STV's plans.

Woodward added: "We're committed to sport and aim to provide a good mix of coverage, via our comprehensive sports news bulletins, our dedicated rugby programmes, our Champions League coverage and our ever-increasing online sports reporting."

Champions League coverage "always attract strong audiences", and STV confirmed that its homegrown edition was its second most-watched of 2009.

The company adds that it is "already capitalising on the popularity of football, with two new series dedicated to the sport this year". Already, The Football Years (narrated by Peter Capaldi) is "delivering strong ratings".

"We have recently launched a new series called The Football Years, which celebrates iconic years in the game's history. The first programme outperformed the network by five share points, and attracted a fantastic 30% share for men," Woodward concluded.

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