THE SPFL are set to announce a new long-term broadcast deal with Sky Sports after dismissing objections from Rangers over the £150million offer on the table to screen our national game.
Sky will continue as the sole holder of rights for Premiership fixtures after striking an agreement that will begin from the summer of 2024 and run until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.
Livingston had also expressed reservations over the proposal but a meeting scheduled for Tuesday has now been cancelled after the League informed clubs on Monday evening that the deal - hailed as 'the largest single commercial contract in the history of Scottish league football' - can now be rubber-stamped in the coming days.
Chairman Murdoch MacLennan confirmed the development to clubs across all four divisions and, in an email, said: "I am pleased to be able to advise you that the Commercial Resolution in respect of the proposal from Sky has now been approved by cinch Premiership Clubs - and that the Qualified Resolution amending the SPFL Rules (to accommodate the Sky proposal) has also been approved.
"Thank you for your support of this important Rule change. The extended contract with Sky will underpin the finances of the SPFL for the next seven years, in the face of what appear to be strengthening economic headwinds.
"Over the coming days, we will look to contract with Sky and to announce the extension, which, by value, will be by far the largest single commercial contract in the history of Scottish league football."
Stewart Robertson, the Rangers managing director, criticised the SPFL once again last week and claimed that the rights package was undervalued as he drew comparisons to the contracts that are in place across similar-sized leagues on the continent.
Those suggestions were rebuffed on Sunday, however, as Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack launched a fierce defence of the deal that Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, has negotiated on behalf of member clubs.
A motion from the SPFL required and 11-1 majority to be passed as the Hampden hierarchy shifted the goalposts after all Premiership clubs were asked to sign a waiver agreeing to let Sky increase the number of home games shown from each ground from four to five.
Rangers refused to support that initial motion as they demanded an apology from the League over their handling of the controversial cinch sponsorship deal and agreed to foot the legal bill that was run up as Ibrox chairman Douglas Park took on the SPFL and won in court.
That saw Doncaster put forward a second resolution and the backing of 11 Premiership clubs has been enough to see the Sky deal, which will see payments increase to £30million per season by 2028/29, accepted as the broadcaster gets set to extend its coverage of our game once again.
Sky will also have an option on further packages of fixtures that could take their total to 80 live games per season and be worth up to £38million each term to the SPFL.
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