SPFL opens bidding for Scottish Premiership TV rights from 2029-30

The Scottish Professional Football League has opened bidding for the live UK television rights to Scottish Premiership matches from the 2029-30 season. The league announced the invitation to tender on 20 October, saying broadcasters could discuss how many games they would want to show rather than being restricted to the current number of televised fixtures.

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BBC Sport reported that Sky Sports' existing agreement is worth £150 million and ends after the 2028-29 campaign. Sky can currently broadcast up to 60 Premiership matches each season, while Premier Sports has rights to show up to 22. The new process concerns coverage after those arrangements expire; it is not an announcement of a winning bidder or a replacement deal.

The Scottish League Cup sits outside the tender. The SPFL confirmed that its separate agreement with Premier Sports for that competition's broadcasting and sponsorship rights remains in force until at least the end of the 2030-31 season. Those arrangements are unaffected by the invitation for bids on future Premiership coverage.

SPFL group chief executive Neil Doncaster said broadcast partnerships were important to maintaining sustainable income for the league and its clubs, and that he expected interest from broadcasters. The league also highlighted record annual attendances in the previous season as it launched the tender. Its announcement did not name prospective bidders or disclose a value for the next rights agreement.

The process follows financial results released by the SPFL on 8 October showing record group distributions of £49.6 million to clubs, an increase of £7.6 million, or 18%. Group income reached £58 million. The league attributed the rise in distributions partly to additional broadcasting revenue, alongside growth in other commercial activities including licensing, match data and sponsorship.

Those distributions put the group close to its stated target of £50 million by 2029, a goal that followed a 2021 strategic review. The SPFL's distribution total covers more than league-position payments: it also includes parachute payments, money for Scottish Women's Premier League clubs, cup prize money and facility fees for Premiership games shown on Premier Sports. The new tender begins the process of securing Premiership broadcast income beyond the current rights cycle.