Club executives in the Scottish Premier League, football’s top division in the country, fear that UK pay-television broadcaster ESPN could activate a clause to curtail its rights deal for coverage of the top tier and Glasgow Rangers games in the Scottish Football League divisions, according to UK newspaper the Daily Express.
The report said that the exit clause could be activated next month and would take effect from the end of the 2012-13 season, just one season into a five-year deal that is due to run until 2016-17.
The newspaper added that there is a ‘strong feeling’ amongst clubs that uncertainty surrounding the proposed revamp of the Scottish leagues, plus lower-than-expected viewing figures this season, could prompt ESPN to cut short its deal.
The report said that pay-television broadcaster BSkyB, which is the top division’s primary rights-holder in a five-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2016-17, would have the first option on acquiring the rights currently held by ESPN.
ESPN is also in the final season of its three-year domestic live rights deal for the English Premier League, the top tier of football in England, having been dislodged in the next cycle of rights by telecommunications company BT.
ESPN’s current agreement for Scottish football covers 30 games live per season from the top tier in Scotland and 10 Rangers games live per year from the Scottish Football League, with the team participating in the Third Division this season. Rangers, one of the two biggest clubs in Scotland, was demoted to the Third Division from the SPL last summer after being liquidated and reformed.