Scottish Football deal for Sky includes Gers too

Viewers will see 30 live matches per season, plus a wealth of highlights

A new agreement between Sky Sports and the Scottish Premier League will guarantee the continued coverage of Scottish League football for at least another five years.

Sky Sports' coverage of the 2012/13 campaign will begin with Celtic v Aberdeen this Saturday (k/o 12.45pm).

The deal will also include live Rangers matches from the Scottish Football League, beginning with their opening clash away to Peterhead on August 11 (k/o 12.45pm).

Under the new deal, subject to ratification by the SPL clubs on Friday, Sky Sports viewers will be able to enjoy the following:

LIVE MATCHES - 30 live matches a season, including five live Rangers fixtures from the Scottish Football League.

MULTI-PLATFORM COVERAGE - coverage for viewers with Sky across TV, online, mobile and tablet devices through Sky Go.

EXTRA PROGRAMMING - highlights programmes, plus extensive news views and analysis across Sky Sports News HD and skysports.com.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "We've supported Scottish football since we started over 20 years ago, and have always wanted to continue that commitment.

"Our viewers will see the SPL for five more years and our schedule includes the opening league match for Celtic. We will also follow Rangers as they plot their way back to Scottish football's top flight.

"Clubs now have certainty over their income and exposure across the UK and Ireland and we look forward to the new season."

Sky Sports is the home of football with over 500 live matches broadcast a season. The schedule includes Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, npower Football League, World Cup qualifiers, Capital One Cup, La Liga as well as a wealth of support programming.

For Scottish football fans, the Sky Sports schedule includes SPL and SFL, all of Scotland's home internationals, including World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Macedonia in September, the Scottish Cup plus U21s and U16s fixtures.

Sky Sports viewers with Sky will be able to enjoy live matches across TV, PC, mobile and tablet devices.

The new deal for SPL follows recent renewals with The Premier League [to 2016], British & Irish Lions [2013], La Liga [to 2015], The European Tour [to 2018], UEFA Champions League [to 2014/15], Football League [to 2014/15], England and Wales Cricket Board [to 2017], ICC Cricket [to 2015] and Rugby Football League [to 2016].

Sky also announce coverage of The World Paint Drying Cup and The Grass Growing Championship as more interesting alternatives.

super_realist wrote:Sky also announce coverage of The World Paint Drying Cup and The Grass Growing Championship as more interesting alternatives.

Bit gutted as they were going to show all 18 away Rangers games but it's better than a kick in the teeth.

You've still to get the ESPN deal though, I'm sure they'll include some Gers games alongside BBC Alba

Good deal, gutted we get so little but the grief mongering that wernt on before the deal suggested before hand, only losing £2m a year is a decent price and will hopefully give SPL clubs some breathing space, this season should be quite good, Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Hearts and Motherwell should all mount a serious challenge for 2nd place

Yeah forgot about that Gaffer, there first two competitive games will have been live which is good.

The Real Jambo wrote:Sky Sports viewers will be able to enjoy the following:

LIVE MATCHES - 30 live matches a season, including five live Rangers fixtures from the Scottish Football League.

MULTI-PLATFORM COVERAGE - coverage for viewers with Sky across TV, online, mobile and tablet devices through Sky Go.

EXTRA PROGRAMMING - highlights programmes, plus extensive news views and analysis across Sky Sports News HD and skysports.com.

A contradiction in terms surely!

I suppose it depends what team you support.

Will any other league around Europe be as cut and dried as the SPL?

At the end of the day we are all lucky to have a tv deal, SKY could have easily tore up the contract.