Hearts & Hibs to benefit as record number of Scottish Premiership games to be shown in huge broadcast deal

The SPFL has reached an extensive new broadcasting agreement, marking a milestone for the airing of Scottish Premiership matches.

Following an eventful season in the Scottish Premiership, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has disclosed a fresh broadcasting deal with Premier Sports. This agreement will showcase 20 live matches per season, commencing this summer.

Spanning five seasons, the deal allows these matches to be broadcasted in the UK and Ireland. Premier Sports secured these rights through a competitive bidding process involving several broadcasters.

Premier Sports, a collection of pay television sports channels originating from Ireland, boasts exclusive broadcasting rights for various leagues including La Liga, the Elite Ice Hockey League, NHL, and NASCAR. Additionally, it airs the Scottish League Cup and shares broadcasting rights for the Scottish Cup with BBC Sport.

This announcement follows the SPFL’s 2022 extension with Sky Sports, which is set to air up to 60 live Premiership matches per season. With a potential of 80 games to be televised starting from the 2024/25 season, fans will witness an unprecedented number of live Scottish top-flight matches on television.

The Premier Sports deal is expected to inject a significant eight-figure sum into Scottish football over the agreement’s duration, providing additional financial support to clubs.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, expressed enthusiasm about the increased coverage, highlighting the significant benefits for clubs and supporters. Premier Sports founder Michael O’Rourke also expressed excitement about expanding the broadcaster’s Scottish football coverage.

Fans of Hearts and Hibs can anticipate seeing more of their clubs on television this upcoming season. A breakdown by Pie & Bovril of Sky Sports’ coverage during the 2023/24 Premiership campaign revealed that Hearts appeared four times and Hibs twice out of 41 games televised. Only four games throughout the season featured clubs other than Celtic or Rangers.

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