SPFL Pay BT to Show Rangers Games

[ian1964 10,761]

 

SPFL agree deal to broadcast Scottish football matches live in China for first time

 

 

Nov 04, 2013 15:22

By Dailyrecord.co.uk

 

 

THE deal with Chinese partner PPLive TV is set to bring in £2m a year to clubs over 10 years and will see a total of 58 SPFL matches screened live.

 

 

 

SCOTTISH football will be screened live to up to 60 million television viewers in China as part of a long-term deal which is expected to bring in £2million a year to clubs.

 

The Scottish Professional Football League has announced a broadcast deal with Chinese partner PPLive TV which is part of a wider 10-year, £20million international deal with sports media rights firm MP & Silva.

 

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster was joined in Beijing with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell to announce the deal.

 

A total of 58 SPFL matches will be screened live in China as part of the online station's European football selection, which also includes Spanish and English games.

 

Doncaster said: "This is a brilliant result for Scottish football and the Scottish Professional Football League. This deal will showcase the Scottish game to up to 60million people across China and opens up a huge marketplace in the world's fastest growing economy.

 

"We want to build on this opportunity, not only in China but across other significant global markets, and discussions with several potential partners are ongoing.

 

"We aim to significantly raise the profile and popularity of our game among global audiences, with the resultant financial spin-offs and commercial opportunities for the SPFL and our member clubs."

 

Lawwell added: "The English Premier League experience shows that giving overseas audiences the chance to watch games week-in, week-out is the key to building an international fan base.

 

"Celtic FC has already played a leading role in promoting the Scottish game to global audiences, mainly through our recent participation and successes in the UEFA Champions League, and we see China as a country with enormous potential.

 

"This deal shows the ambition of the SPFL and its clubs to continue to expand the Scottish game into new worldwide territories."

 

Scottish National Party leader Salmond, who is in China on a trade mission, added: "There is clearly a growing appetite for European football coverage in China and now football fans across this country will be able to enjoy the action from iconic Scottish footballing venues such as Easter Road, Fir Park and Pittodrie.

 

"There have been some tough times in Scottish football over recent years, but with news today that clubs can look forward to a £20 million boost as part of this fantastic international broadcasting deal, I am confident the fans can look forward to a bright future."

[BlueMazza 0]

No doubt the league bosses will spin this to suggest we should pay because it's all our fault in the first place.

[RANGERRAB 3,732]

Perhaps we're now beginning to see why Doncaster & Liewell were reluctant to let anyone see the details of this SKY deal they signed.

Don't forget Longmuir, when he was at the SFL, supposedly never got to see it.

[bluebear54 0]

I wonder if every member of the old SPL and the SFL knew the exact details of this prior to the merger.

The whole SPFL will certainly know about it now. And the old SFL clubs will be paying for it too.

Wonder if Doncaster's phone is pretty busy this morning, or is he out of office trying to find Lawwell?

[RANGERRAB 3,732]

I wonder if every member of the old SPL and the SFL knew the exact details of this prior to the merger.

The whole SPFL will certainly know about it now. And the old SFL clubs will be paying for it too.

Wonder if Doncaster's phone is pretty busy this morning, or is he out of office trying to find Lawwell?

 

I don't think anyone other than Doncaster & Liewell knew anything about what was involved in the tv deal they signed.

Wonder if there are any other hidden gems in this tv deal?

[buster. 5,257]

The then SPL were in a poor negotiating position back in the day and to keep what was the existing deal in place seems to have had costs (including this pyt.). .....This would seem to be because the TV company was giving up on benefits (OF matches).

[RANGERRAB 3,732]

The then SPL were in a poor negotiating position back in the day and to keep what was the existing deal in place seems to have had costs (including this pyt.). .....This would seem to be because the TV company was giving up on benefits (OF matches).

 

Of course they were in a poor negotiating position - they had just allowed Rangers to be voted out the SPL meaning no OF games. The TV companies aren't daft. No OF games means an almighty drop in viewers.

A while back the president of La Liga was asked what would happen if either Real or Barca got relegated and he said it was inconceivable because it could destroy all the commercial deals signed for La Liga. Maybe the SPL (now the SPFL) should have thought likewise. They cannot even get a sponsor as it stands

[buster. 5,257]

Of course they were in a poor negotiating position - they had just allowed Rangers to be voted out the SPL meaning no OF games. The TV companies aren't daft. No OF games means an almighty drop in viewers.

A while back the president of La Liga was asked what would happen if either Real or Barca got relegated and he said it was inconceivable because it could destroy all the commercial deals signed for La Liga. Maybe the SPL (now the SPFL) should have thought likewise. They cannot even get a sponsor as it stands

 

They had one opportunity, and that was the board of the SPL could have voted in favour of keeping Rangers in the SPL.

Note. The outcome of such a vote wasn't a given but commercial interests could well have swayed it.

 

However the SPL board didn't want the responsibility and pushed the decision upon the member clubs.

The general momentum that had built up behind what is loosely called the 'sporting integrity bandwagon' meant that this vote was only going to go one way.

 

Thereafter the commercial interests of the SPL wrt effect/timescale took a major blow with the later decision of SFL clubs regards what division Rangers would play football in.

Part of this 'major blow' is now illustrated in the OP of this thread.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

They were lucky they got any deal at all; the TV companies were only interested in 4 matches a season (with another 4 of passing interest) and did the prior deals for that purpose. Anything other than Rangers v Celtic was a total irrelevance for them.

 

Losing Hearts v Hibs (if that turns out to be the case) may well trigger another penalty.

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

I cannot believe this is being spun as being Rangers fault.

 

This was Lawwell and Doncaster being torn a new one by the tv companies in order to get them to keep paying them something for their unwanted tv rights to their one horse race.

 

I am glad however that the SPFL have incurred more costs as a result of viewing figures not hitting the promised figures. I can feel a little proud at my contribution to this for refusing to watch a single second of any non-Rangers scottish domestic game in the last two years. Without the Rangers audience, there is no audience. Without the Rangers, there is no game.