SPL set to go it alone on TV deal

THE Scottish Premier League last night confirmed plans to launch its own satellite television channel next season in preference to securing a new contract with British Sky Broadcasting.

The new channel would rely on subscriptions, and the extra expense for viewers makes it a high-risk strategy given the existing saturation coverage of live football on British television.

Representatives of all 12 top-flight clubs met at Hampden yesterday and gave the green light to trying to make the idea of the SPL channel a reality in time for the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

The current £11.25million a-year deal with Sky expires at the end of this season, with negotiations over a new contract having been seriously disrupted by the Old Firm’s protracted and failed bid to find a place in the more lucrative TV market of the English Premiership.

With a chastened Rangers and Celtic now back around the table with the ten other clubs and suddenly preaching unity again, the SPL now believes it can make more money from the launch of its own channel than it can from maintaining its partnership with Sky.

SPL TV would operate on the same basis as those stations operated by Manchester United and Chelsea, who currently have their own channels available on subscription to those who own Sky and ITV satellite systems.

The SPL would have to pay Sky, as the satellite provider, carriage rights of at least £1million and find production and programming personnel to run the channel.

Satellite viewers would also have to pay an additional subscription fee for the SPL channel on top of their normal financial package for Sky or ITV digital.

A source close to Sky told The Scotsman: "It’s an interesting idea, and you have to question the belief that the SPL will make more money that way. They have a lot of equipment and expertise to pay for which doesn’t come cheap. You also have to ask if Scottish football fans will want to pay extra money for an SPL channel on top of their existing subscription."

Roger Mitchell, the SPL chief executive, is convinced the channel can be a significant financial success. He said: "As we have previously stated on a number of occasions during the past few months, the concept of a channel devoted to Scotland’s most popular sporting competition is one we have been working on for a considerable time.

"Interest in the initiative from external investors to date has been very encouraging. We are now actively involved in the tendering process for the programming and production. The concept of the channel was put forward to offer the clubs the most comprehensive range of broadcasting choice and currently the indications are that this route will deliver the maximum commercial benefits to all 12 clubs."

Lex Gold, the SPL chairman, said: "Today we held the latest in a series of meetings between the 12 clubs on the subject of broadcasting. I’m delighted to announce that they have unanimously agreed to take the concept of the SPL channel to the next stage.

"Crucially, the 12 clubs realise the need to move ahead with this progress on the basis of a minimum four-year time frame which delivers stability for the league as a whole, enabling us to build upon the significant progress we have made since the launch of the SPL almost four years ago."

Taken from the Scotsman