Sky deal likely to fall if next season is delayed

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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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283 Comments

  1. shuggiebhoy67

     

     

    Kinning Park? Well if I am not mistaken that means RFC as was were not originally a Glasgow club….

  2. CELTIC MAC,

     

     

    Govan became part of Glasgow in 1912. Before that it was in Lanarkshire, I think

  3. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    SFTB

     

     

    I recall Mark Thompson (BBC Director General at the time) being photographed going into #10 with his wee dossier regarding how he was supposed to spin austerity.

     

     

    The BBC shit themselves from the Tories, with the license fee constantly dangled like the sword of Damacles to ensure that they act like a government mouthpiece. The standard of journalism on BBC News is pretty appalling – ITN, Channel 4 and even Sky News are a hell of a lot better at investigative journalism and holding the government to account where necessary.

  4. Shuggiebhoy67 on

    CELTIC MAC

     

    The Gare Loch boys played their initial games on Flesher`s Haugh on Glasgow Green

     

    moved to the Burnbank enclosure to the south of Kelvinbridge in the West End,after a year they moved to a ground at Kinning Park for the start of season 1876/77 after a cricket club called Clydesdale couldn`t pay their rent,

     

    HH

  5. Partick Thistle release a statement full of factual and legal errors but the media run with it. I despair.

  6. whitedoghunch on

    Neustadt-Braw

     

    I almost forgot Tokaji with the foie

     

    think it was Louis the 14th who was taken a bottle as a gesture by the winery.

     

    He then

     

    dispatched all his horses and free menn to empty their cellars and bring him back every bottle they had.

  7. ron bacardi

     

     

    It was the reference to RFCs history early doors Ron, which suggested that they were originally from Kinning Park which was not part of Glasgow back then. Guess Govan came later.

  8. Have the Huns PROVIDED the Evidence of any wrong doing by the SPFL yet that they said days ago that they have….or are they pulling the Partick Thistle strings ?

     

     

    HH

  9. I would not be surprised if this shambles was set up by the SPFHell/SFA to benefit 1 team in the END.

     

     

    Anything other than Celtic being crowned Champions should be fought vigorously by our custodians and as I said yesterday they should be sending a letter to the SPFHell outlining what they expect.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    D. :)

  10. Celtic Mac

     

     

    Sevco’s football ground is called Ibrox Stadium it was not until boundary changes in the 60’s/ 70’s that Ibrox became part of Govan. Being a Govan man myself it pisses me off to hear about that team from Govan,they are from Ibrox.

     

    As a wee aside Merkland Street school in Partick was part of the Govan Parish. An old friend used to tell the Partick men that “we sent missionary’s across with Bananas to get you’re oot the trees and into the school’ good Celtic men men on both sides of the river

  11. Dundee Statement…

     

     

    Following a weekend of discussion and contemplation, we would like to issue the following statement.

     

     

    As we made clear in our statement on Friday afternoon, it is a time for integrity and impartiality within Scottish football. Our view on that has not changed.

     

    Over the past few days, we have entered into various positive discussions with reconstruction at the forefront of these.

     

     

    Given our discussions and considering all aspects, we don’t feel we are in a position to comment further on the resolution that was put forward.

     

     

    We understand that this may bring more questions than answers and we will look to give a much more substantial account of the past few days at the conclusion of this process.

     

     

    Our supporters should know that we are, as always, looking out for the best interests of both Dundee Football Club and Scottish football as a whole.

  12. Farcical really, Dundee calling the shots and holding the reconstruction gun to the head of the SPFL while other clubs lie in wait. In all honesty, a catastrophic mess created and overseen by the SPFL Board.

  13. With all this discussion about , basically, Money is it within the football authorities to LOAN teams the equivalent of what the bottom team in each division would receive.

     

    If games were ever played and positions changed no one would need to pay back the loan and others just topped up to the correct numeration.

     

    Simples

  14. No prize money/loans should be paid out unless prizes are put out.

     

     

    If clubs go to the wall then hell mend them.

     

     

    There are far to many clubs anyway. Harsh I know but natural wastage and we move on.

     

     

    D. :)

  15. Fess19,

     

    the difficulty may be that if leagues are not finished,

     

    then sponsors,tv,season ticket holders etc,may come looking for money back,

     

    the SPFLmay not be in a position to give clubs money and refund any claims against them.

  16. Well if Dundee want reconstruction as a sweetner to vote for this cheerio there is enough crap in the league with plastic parks 2 stands etc. Teams will go bust fact.

  17. No end in sight then.

     

    Regardless of how this ends, Dundee’s behaviour has been poor.

     

     

    There is simply no way they’ll get a 16 team prem league out of this. I don’t think there’ll be any reconstruction at all given the very high threshold needed to carry it.

  18. Tobago Street on

    Respect I believe needs to be earned, but that doesn’t mean the starting point is disrespect.

     

     

    T

  19. fairhill bhoy on

    GORDYBHOY 64-I asked you the other day about paying out .Are all bets null and void if the full league card isn’t completed

  20. whitedoghunch on

    Majestic Hartson

     

    Hochar is the baby but you have great taste

     

    I said a ’95 for a superbe vintage in most folks reach

     

    loved it since I was a teen

     

    Lottery tonight I buy a ’72