The Scottish Professional Football League’s decision to invite tenders for the live United Kingdom broadcast rights for Premiership games is an intriguing opportunity for digital media companies.
The SPFL expects ‘strong interest’ after inviting broadcasters to bid for the UK rights to show Scottish Premiership matches from the 2029/30 season onwards.
The league’s current five-year, £150 million agreement with Sky Sports will end at the conclusion of the 2028/29 campaign, according to Sports View.
Opening the door for other companies to bid for the rights could have a seismic impact on Scottish football and significantly shake up the sports broadcasting sector.
The SPFL were accused of underselling their flagship product after extending their existing deal with Sky without an open tender.
The current deal allows Sky to screen 60 top flight matches and Premier Sports to show 22 league fixtures each season. However, critics questioned the lowly valuation.
Compared to the English Premier League’s record £6.7 billion domestic deal to show up to 270 live games a season, the SPFL seems to have missed a trick.
SPFL chief executive officer Neil Doncaster is now on a mission to rectify that mistake by inviting companies to compete with Sky for the UK broadcast rights.
The move could prove to be shrewd, particularly if digital media giants such as Netflix or Paramount+ decide they want to add Scottish football to their sports portfolio.
SPFL deal could transform the sports rights landscape
Sky have repeatedly fended off stern competition from several companies to maintain their position as the dominant sports broadcaster in the UK.
However, losing the rights to the SPFL may trigger a domino effect which could ultimately knock the company off their lucrative perch.
Netflix have increasingly targeted the sports industry over the past few years, most notably acquiring the rights in selected regions for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Paramount + has secured the Champions League rights for the next four years in the UK. They will share them with Amazon, who have the first pick on the Tuesday night match.
Both companies have focused primarily on the top end of the market up to this point, but may view the SPFL as an opportunity to demonstrate what they can do with a domestic competition.
An industry insider, who has previously provided legal advice to sports organisations and broadcasters on rights issues, believes Sky faces a major battle to retain SPFL coverage.
“Paramount+ doesn’t have a particularly great roster of rights at the moment,” the insider said. “They may be looking, without being disrespectful to the SPFL, for some filler.
“Netflix are under serious pressure on various fronts, particularly their share price. Who knows? They may be looking to do something different going forward.
“Paramount+ and TNT Sports are now owned by the same company after a €110 billion takeover, a new entity called Skydance Corporation.
“Could Paramount+ get involved in the Premiership? Possibly. You might find they blow Sky out of the water just to make a bit of a splash.”
Scottish Premiership clubs have struggled to keep pace with their counterparts in other leagues due to the disparity in their respective broadcast deals.
However, securing a bumper contract with a new digital media partner could prove to be a game-changer for the whole of Scottish football.
If Netflix or Paramount+ acquire the rights and subsequently raise the Premiership’s profile, other domestic competitions may view them as a viable broadcast partner.
Sky have beaten off challenges to their dominance in the past, but competing with the new wave digital media giants will be a completely different ball game.
