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Sky deal likely to fall if next season is delayed

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

While it is possible for Sky to broadcast their annual allotment of 48 SPFL games into a truncated period, i.e. October 2020 to May 2021, doing so would unravel the contract.  Under the current deal, negotiated while the world still had a largely functioning economy, Sky agreed to pay £666k (insert your own joke) for each live game for the next five years.

This money reflects the value Sky put on the audience and subsequent advertisers it expected to attract.  As we have touched on before, just about every asset class is worth less than it was before the crisis, which includes current and anticipated advertising revenues.  The size of our economy will be less going forward, which will correlate with advertising spend.

As we know to our cost, Sky pay enough money to choose when games are broadcast.  They are reluctant to put Scottish games on while they simultaneously broadcast games from England.  This splits their football audience and lowers the value of the product.

As it stands, there is probably no more than a 50% chance SPFL football can start season 2020-21 on time behind closed doors.  There is significantly less chance of ticket income that early in the season.  All of this makes next season’s Sky TV deal an absolute must for dozens of clubs across the four leagues.

For those in the bottom two leagues, £1k – £2k per week might be the difference between remaining in business in a semi-professional capacity or going bust.  The £3k – £10k per week available to Championship clubs is likely to be enough for a few of them to keep their heads off the chopping block for a few painful months.

Clubs in the top flight each receive over £20k per week.  That will make little difference to the likes of Hearts, where overheads are significantly higher, but it will go a long way at Hamilton and Ross County.

There is an oddity about football TV deals, they contain non-disclosure clauses.  No one outside of the SPFL board is supposed to know what the terms are, outside of a few agreed facts (usually just the fee and term).  The board cannot openly share details with member clubs, board members are not supposed to discuss the terms with others at their own club.

It is, therefore, likely that some clubs were unaware of the consequences they voted for when they voted against the SPFL’s resolution.  The League’s executives are legally unable to articulate the dangers, although I am sure they hope indiscrete leaks serve to do the job for them.  I suspect that may have happened to give Dundee pause for thought on Friday night.

If reports that Dundee are set to change their vote to Yes, the game here remains solvent in theory only for a while yet, but I’m not convinced it will make any difference to the final picture.  The short list of Third Lanark, Airdrieonians, Gretna and Rangers is set to become a lot longer.

Wasn’t it great to hear Kelty Hearts manager Barry Ferguson say, “we’ll take it”, when the Lowland League ended the campaign and made them champions?  None of this ‘null and void’ nonsense for Barry!

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  5. voguepunter on

    BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 14TH APRIL 2020 12:46 PM

     

    HWG TIAR

     

     

    ————

     

    Is that Welsh for ‘Beyonce’ ?

  7. Clink\o/ 3x3 on

    Also getting the wee dune buggy ad popping up. Is somebody trying to tell me that I need a holiday.

     

    .

     

    SFTB

     

    Think you got the Trump/Titanic quotes spot on.

     

    Good one

  8. david17 on

    Thanks for that Paul. Quite a robust reasoning, one that is likely to hold off the conspiracists.

  12. Big Jimmy on

    McCoist now DEMANDING to have clarity on whatever Dundees Chairman ( Helms) has offered other clubs as some kind of “Inducement” to vote in favour of the SPFL Propasal…

     

    McCoist says that he’s reading this ” from Scottish Newspapers”, and that he wants to KNOW why Dundee have apparently “changed their mind” from their original vote ?

     

     

    Who does this Chump think he is…The “Voice” of Scottsh Fitba ?

     

     

    Funny how he NEVER asked for Clarity and/or asked to be told why the Old Rangers were giving over 60 of their staff EBT’s/Side Letters….and being guilty of Tax Evasion ?

     

     

    He wants to KNOW about any possible “inducements” that Dundee FC have perhaps made………Obviously he has never viewed the EBT’s etc as any form of “Inducements” from the Old Huns in order to sign better players that they couldnt otherwise afford……( David Murrays evidence at Craig Whyte trial).

     

     

    How I hate that Fat Gardener….Thick as S….

     

    HH

  13. An Dun on

    9 IAR and Hearts relegated. Lovely. Now finish of that quad treble and do the ten when we get back to business, Celtic.

     

     

    Just for the craic, we should play Dundee in numerous friendly games before the new season gets underway.

  15. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Macjay

     

     

    “I fear that if you cannot recognise that the BBC , the most influential of all the media outlets in UK , is a coalition of Labour / Greens with a microphone , then there is little hope for your ability to discriminate news and biased propaganda.”

     

     

    You living in the 60’s still?

     

     

    The last 4 BBC Political Editors:-

     

     

    Robin Oakley 1992–2000 Ex Editor of Sunday Express, Depute Editor at Daily Mail & Political Editor at the Times- Served all his apprenticeship in the 80s and 90s with the right wing press.

     

     

     

    Andrew Marr 2000–2005- Former Maoist at Uni who joined The Times under Murdoch and thrived. Now describes himself as a Libertarian. He shares the same Gammon views as yourself. Here’s a quote- “The BBC is not impartial or neutral. It’s a publicly funded, urban organisation with an abnormally large number of young people, ethnic minorities, and gay people. It has a liberal bias, not so much a party-political bias. It is better expressed as a cultural liberal bias.”

     

     

     

    Nick Robinson 2005–2015- President of Oxford Uni Conservative Association- A life long Tory –

     

     

    Laura Kuenssberg 2015–present Daughter of a Tory Party donor performed. Subject to an upheld complaint by the BBC Trust for “giving the incorrect impression that Corbyn disagreed with the use of firearms by police in terrorist incidents” and compounding that with a commendation of Teresa May’s views. She has been subject to some vile sexist abuse but she is clearly a Tory by upbringing and expressed views.

  20. Ray Winstone's Big Disembodied Heid on

    After sevco dies,and given its recent lurch to the DUP/UDA demographic, Third Klanark might be an apt name for the next incarnation of the strange Ibrox beast slouching towards Govan to be born.

  24. westcraigs on

    Around 1 year ago I went to Lisbon to pay homage to the place of our greatest achievement. The estoril stadium is the most beautiful and romantic setting for a European cup final. It is a little piece of heaven here on earth. Every celtic supporter should try and get to Lisbon.

     

    May god bless the Lisbon lions.

  30. ger57 on

    Westcraigs, I went to Lisbon 2 years ago and visited El Stadio National. You are correct; it’s a beautiful stadium, trees and all. The classical pillars made the perfect backdrop for Cesar to receive the big cup.

     

    The stadium is now only used for junior games plus the Portugese cup final. No other European champions will be crowned there now.

  32. timaloy29 on

    Thanks for cutting through the garbage Paul

     

     

    This is where CQN really comes into its own. Journalists are either preaching to the red white & blue choir or completely unqualified to talk about the challenges facing Scottish football.

     

     

    I listened to Sportsound this weekend with Richard Gordon, Willie Miller, Tom English, Michael Stewart and Kenny Miller. Others might disagree but I only identify one true bluenose amongst that group.

     

     

    That doesn’t mean the coverage was any good.

     

     

    Generally, the pundits were unable to face up to the reality that’s facing Scottish football. They seem to think that football will be back this summer.

     

     

    Unrealistic. Unqualified. Unwilling to listen to alternative points of view.

  33. connaire12 on

    Just received a phone call from the cousin’s son, Charlie, who was in Letterkenny Hospital for 14 days with the virus. He is now at home with his wife and family in Carndonagh and has requested that I thank all CQNers for the prayers offered for his recovery and for thoughts expressed during his time of need. Like so many others who have experienced what he has, he could not give enough praise to the Doctors, nurses and carers who looked after him.

  34. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Can someone remind me when liberals aligned with the left?

     

     

    another bullshit myth, the liberals are authors of the neo-liberal capitalist economic model, another capitalist failure.

  35. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Connaire12,

     

    great news,hopefully a full recovery, followed by many more

  36. timaloy29 on

    SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 14TH APRIL 2020 1:12 PM

     

     

    There also is a revolving door between the BBC political desk and Conservative Party HQ

     

     

    Head of Communications for David Cameron – Craig Oliver – Former BBC Journalist

     

     

    Head of Communications for Theresa May – Robert Gibbs – Former BBC Journalist

     

     

    Head of Communications for George Osborn – Adam Batstone – Former BBC Journalist

     

     

    Head of Communications for Boris Johnson – Will Walden – Former BBC Journalist

     

     

    Make of that what you will.

  42. bognorbhoy on

    Breaking news

     

    Rangers * and Hearts announce plans to form their own league.

     

    It will be called the Hundesliga

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