Premier Sports wins rights to show Premiership matches from this summer

The SPFL has announced that Premier Sports has won the rights to broadcast live Premiership games from this summer.

The league body has signed a five-year deal with the broadcaster, permitting them to show 20 live Premiership games per season in the UK and Ireland.

This secondary package of live rights supplements the existing deal with Sky, who hold the rights to show up to 60 live Premiership matches per season. The SPFL say Premier Sports won a competitive bidding process ahead of multiple other bidders.

The broadcaster already shows Scottish Cup games as well as sponsoring and holding the rights to the League Cup. They have now completed the set of domestic competitions by adding a selection of league games.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “This is tremendous news for SPFL clubs and supporters alike and means that up to 80 Premiership matches will be broadcast live next season across Sky Sports and Premier Sports. This will be the highest number of live matches ever broadcast from the Scottish Premiership.

“With Premier Sports already having the rights to the Premier Sports Cup and Scottish Cup, they have cemented their place as a key broadcaster of live Scottish football.

“We are extremely grateful to Premier Sports for their increased investment into the game, which will bring an additional eight-figure sum into Scottish football over the next five years, meaning further record-breaking payments to clubs.”

Michael O’Rourke, founder of Premier Sports, commented: “We are delighted to strengthen our Scottish football offering to fans in what is a hugely exciting time for Scottish football at both club and international level.

“The addition of the Scottish Premiership means we are showing more Scottish football than ever before and we’re looking forward to broadcasting games and storylines from one of Europe’s most exciting and passionate league for the next five years.”