Scottish Premier League chief executive Neil Doncaster has dismissed suggestions that UK pay-television broadcasters BSkyB and ESPN could curtail their rights deals for the top division of football in Scotland due to lower-than-expected viewing figures, according to the Daily Record newspaper.
The report said that Doncaster produced the league’s contract with the broadcasters to show to those present at a meeting between the SPL, Scottish Football League and Scottish Football Association that the deals are not in danger of being cut short.
“There were questions being asked about finance and we answered them,” Doncaster said. “There have been scare stories that TV could walk away from our game and we’ve demonstrated that simply isn’t the case.”
Sky and ESPN have five-year rights deals for the SPL, from 2012-13 to 2016-17.