SPFL secures highest ever turnover and record payments to clubs in 2021/22 season

The Scottish Professional Football League has recorded its highest ever turnover of more than £39m for the 2021/22 season.

Payments to clubs from the SPFL were also the highest on record with a total of £29,717,000 paid to teams playing in Scotland’s top four divisions.

Additional payments including prize money and television rights from the League Cup totalled at £2.78m between clubs in the Premiership to League Two.

The figures do not include revenue from the Scottish Cup which is still run by the Scottish Football Association.

Released on Thursday the results show a total turnover of £39,523,000 which represents an increase of 7% on the previous year’s figures.

Club fees increased by 5% from the 2020/21 season and additional payments have risen by 9%.

The accounts also show overseas income up 5% and aggregate staff remuneration down 6%.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL chief executive, said: “These record results are extremely encouraging for our game and reflect the positive impact of the cinch title sponsorship, the largest single sponsorship deal in the history of the league, and the ongoing support that we continue to enjoy from Sky Sports and our other broadcast partners.

“It’s also important to recognise the outstanding commitment of our small team at the SPFL, which works tirelessly on behalf of our 42 member clubs, and deserves huge credit for the way league operations continued through the pandemic.

“With two of our clubs in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since Season 2007/08, and on the back of our recently-announced long-term contract with Sky Sports, the SPFL can look forward with real confidence to the years ahead.”

The SPFL also announced that Calum Beattie has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Neil Doncaster.

Beattie, who has been the SPFL’s Company Secretary for the past two years, said: “The recent work of the SPFL’s Strategy Group has been the catalyst for a range of initiatives across the commercial and operational sides of the business.

“There is a host of positive and exciting opportunities in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to assisting the Chief Executive in delivering these in my new role.”