SPFL tender includes live Saturday 3pm option — SkimNews
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- SPFL created a tender for the broadcast cycle beginning in 2029-30 and said it is flexible about the number of matches included; BBC Sport understands bidders could seek every match live, including Saturday-afternoon fixtures.
- Article 48 of the Uefa Statutes allows leagues to set live-television blackout times only when 50% of a country’s top-two-division matches kick off simultaneously; SPFL structured its tender on the basis that broadcasters do not seek to impose it, while other leagues stagger kick-offs to avoid the test.
- Sky Sports can show up to 60 Premiership matches and Premier Sports up to 22 under the current deal, meaning only 36% of the 228-game top flight is shown live; the tender lets broadcasters submit any live-coverage proposition.
- Premiership clubs have the final say on a deal: approval requires eight votes from 12 member clubs, and clubs can reject an offer that includes Saturday 3pm games.
- Cymru Premier removed its blackout in summer in favour of streaming every match, while lower-level clubs have had to adhere to the blackout and cannot show games online; critics say that restriction hinders their ability to exploit streaming revenue.
- Richard Masters indicated in August that ending the blackout was the Premier League’s direction of travel, while any English decision would be 18 months away and taken in consultation with the EFL and FA.
- EFL and Premier League rights deals, along with SPFL’s, all expire in 2028-29, creating a common timetable for the leagues to seek consensus before the 2029-30 cycle.
Why it matters: For broadcasters, the SPFL tender allows any live-coverage proposal, with the possibility of all 228 Premiership games rather than the current maximum of 82 shown live. For clubs, critics say the blackout hinders lower-level streaming revenue, while the Scottish deal needs approval from eight of 12 members.
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