Sky, ESPN expected to agree revamped SPL deals

Sky and ESPN could agree revamped broadcast rights deals to Scottish football later today (July 27) if Rangers newco's membership of the Scottish Football Association is approved, according to a report.

The Herald says that Sky and ESPN will renew their deals to show 65 matches per season from the Scottish Premier League and also add new games from the Irn-Bru third division, where the reformed Rangers are to be placed.

Sky will have the rights to 30 games, starting with Celtic taking on Aberdeen at Parkhead next Saturday (August 4), according to the paper, followed by Rangers newco's opening third division clash with Peterhead on August 11.

ESPN will have more games, at 35 per season, starting with Dundee United versus Hibernian on August 5.

Herald Sport understands that the deal between the SPL, Scottish Football League and the two broadcasters will ensure 15 games of Rangers newco's debut season will be shown live.

The paper says that the negotiation will also ensure that the existing £16 million a season television deal for the 2012/13 season will remain intact, despite one of the prestige Old Firm clubs slipping out of the top flight.

It was feared that Scottish football would suffer greatly from the fact that it will take at least three years for Rangers to get back into the Scottish Premier League, but Sky and ESPN clearly believe that there is value in showing Rangers' matches.

The Herald said that the new TV deal is agreed in principle, but cannot be actually signed until the Rangers application for membership to the SFA is approved.

The club is cutting it fine as membership must be approved before the team can play its first match at Brechin City in the Ramsdens Cup on Sunday afternoon (July 29). The game is due to be shown live on BBC Alba.

In terms of the future, The Sun newspaper today claims that BT Vision could look to muscle in on Scottish Premier League rights when they next come up for auction, after the telecoms giant recently outbid ESPN to a new English Premier League deal.

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