The BBC has hit back at claims by Scottish Professional Football League chairman Ralph Topping that the UK public-service broadcaster is “discriminating” against the game in Scotland.
Topping accused the BBC of “indefensible double standards” and “damaging the game” in the country, with the broadcaster’s investment of £68m (€92m/$103m) per year in highlights rights for English football’s Premier League far outstripping its £1m-per-year deal for the SPFL.
“The days of the BBC selling Scottish football short are drawing to a close,” Topping said. “There is an overwhelming argument that the public money spent by the BBC on the UK’s national game should be more evenly split. There is no doubt that the English Premier League is one of the most powerful leagues in the world… but Scottish football will no longer be satisfied with the crumbs off the table.
Topping added: “Compared to England, Scots contribute a 10th of the licence fee, yet at less than £1m for TV highlights, our BBC deal is only a sixtieth of what the BBC pays to the English Premier League – and that doesn’t include the money they also pay to the English Football League for highlights. The BBC is damaging the game in Scotland and these double standards are indefensible for a publicly-funded broadcaster. In the current deal, the BBC has almost halved the amount they previously spent on Scottish football. There comes a point where you have to say ‘enough is enough’ and we’ve reached it. Fans, clubs, politicians and the Scottish public recognise that, as our national broadcaster, the BBC has a duty to do the right thing.”
The BBC responded by saying: “The SPFL welcomed the current rights agreement with the BBC and other broadcasters when it was announced. Sports rights are negotiated in line with market conditions and not population quotas. Our priority is to get value for money. Fans in Scotland tell us they enjoy highlights of both the Premiership and the Premier League and we don’t believe that audiences in Scotland are being short-changed. We believe our involvement has a positive impact on the appreciation of the game.”