SPFL extends BBC, Infront deals
July 17, 2023
The SPFL today has signed multi-year extensions to its broadcast agreements with the BBC and Infront, its international TV rights agency.
The new deals follow extensive tender processes, which attracted multiple bids for the SPFL’s rights.
The BBC Scotland agreement, which was due to expire in summer 2025, has been extended to summer 2029, in line with the SPFL’s recently-extended live broadcast contract with Sky Sports.
The BBC’s rights will continue to cover the cinch Premiership TV highlights on Sportscene, 20 live Friday night games on the BBC Scotland channel, radio rights on BBC Radio Scotland, and extensive clip rights on the BBC website.
Infront have been the SPFL’s overseas TV rights agency since 2018 and play a key role in making SPFL live content available worldwide. Currently, SPFL matches are broadcast in over 150 countries. New deals were recently signed to show live SPFL matches in major new territories including Japan and South Korea.
Infront’s contract, which has also been extended to summer 2029, includes a buyout agreement from summer 2025. Both the BBC and Infront contracts will see a considerable increase in the values paid for SPFL rights.
SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster commented: “The strong interest we received during the recent competitive tendering process underlines the increasing demand from broadcasters for the excitement and drama of the SPFL. These contracts come on the back of record fee payments to the 42 SPFL clubs announced in the past year and, alongside our recently extended record agreement with Sky Sports, will play a major role in strengthening the financial future of the SPFL. We are very much looking forward to working with Sky Sports, BBC Scotland, and Infront to bring the passion, skill and drama of the cinch SPFL to millions more football fans worldwide.”
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland, added: “We’re delighted we’ve reached this agreement with the SPFL which further strengthens our commitment to provide extensive coverage of the top tiers of the game. Live Championship football has become a popular fixture of the Friday night schedule on the BBC Scotland channel, so it’s great news that will continue until 2029. Combining that with the broad slate of live radio coverage and tv and online highlights from the Premiership over the same period is brilliant news for our audiences.”
Andreas Kaeshammer, Head of Football, Infront said: “Our continued partnership with SPFL speaks volumes about our collective achievements over the past years. We’ve unlocked new opportunities for SPFL, both in terms of broadcast territories and digital footprint. This renewed commitment allows us to further build on this momentum and continue elevating Scottish football on a global scale.”