Broadcasters ESPN have announced a new deal to show 40 live Scottish football matches this season.

The package includes 30 games from Scottish football’s top flight as well as the rights to show ten Rangers games, including three home fixtures, in the Scottish Football League until 2017.

The news follows a similar five-year agreement by Sky Sports to show 30 matches broadcast live per season, featuring five of Rangers’ games in the SFL each year.

ESPN’s coverage of the 2012/13 SPL season begins with Dundee United’s home opener against Hibernian on Sunday (August 5).

They will also show the Edinburgh derby on August 12 and Ross County v Celtic on August 18.

Rangers are scheduled to begin their season in the Third Division with a game against Peterhead on August 11, which will be broadcast on Sky, while Celtic's SPL opener against Aberdeen on Saturday will also be screened by the channel.

The broadcaster refused to be drawn on how much the deal was worth.

Prior to the financial meltdown at Rangers, the SPL had agreed a TV deal with the two broadcasters that was worth £80m. However, SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster warned that the financial implications for Scottish football should the TV deal collapse would be "severe".

In a presentation to SFL by chief executive David Longmuir earlier this month, clubs were warned forcing Rangers to start in Division Three would cost the game £16m a year. The calculations behind this financial loss figure have never been provided, although Mr Longmuir insisted it was part of a "factual" document.

On Monday, Mr Doncaster and Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell travelled to London to conduct discussions over the coming TV deal.

The SPL said the meeting involved Mr Lawwell, who is not an SFA official, as he was a member of a steering group briefed with concluding the TV deal.

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