As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic, Rangers and the rest of Scottish football are being left behind by other leagues in Europe due to differences in money received for TV rights. Even compared to nations of similar size and population.
What’s the story?
It’s no secret the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Pedro Caixinha will have to wheel and deal this summer to get the best possible value out of potential signings, Scottish football isn’t exactly swimming in money.
It’s also well known that Scottish football’s TV deal is dwarfed by the likes of those received by English and German clubs. Most fans in Scotland would not expect there to be parity, understanding the realities of the situation.
However, as The Record reveal, the rights for SPFL football lag behind almost every major footballing nation in Europe, even compared to countries like Denmark, whose population is just 300,000 more than Scotland’s.
How much do they get?
The paper says Scottish clubs collectively receive around £18.75m from Sky and BT Sport to air matches, less than half what Danish Superliga clubs receive, with their total around £46m.
Other nations like Norway and Holland are pulling in significant sums too, £35m per annum for Elite Serien and £70m for Eredivisie.
Considering most of these nations generate nowhere near the interest a match like the derby between Celtic and Rangers does, it’s a damning state of affairs.
It’s no wonder then that supporters were cheering when recent news of BT Sport looking to bid exclusively for SPFL rights sparked speculation that any new deal would break Scottish records.
There’s a massive gap between Scotland and the rest of Europe and if clubs truly want to make an impression on UEFA competition then the likes of SPFL Neil Doncaster need to look for fairer deals from broadcasters.
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