SFA agrees new deal to show more TV matches

The Scottish Football Association has signed a sixyear broadcast deal with IMG to globally market broadcast rights for the William Hill Scottish Cup.

BBC Scotland and Premier Sports will each broadcast a selection of fixtures in the competition, in a move that will see more Scottish Cup matches on free-to-air TV than ever before.

The deal will extend IMG’s relationship with the SFA to more than 20 years and includes live coverage from every round as well as gaming, archive and digital clips rights.

It will run until the end of the 2023-24 season.

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: “The William Hill Scottish Cup is a tournament that is steeped in history.

“In it, the clubs and players have created countless unforgettable memories and this deal will ensure that more action than ever before will be broadcast live to the nation.

“It will also drive significant revenue back to all the clubs who participate in the competition, ensuring ongoing investment into the game.

“We look forward to working with Premier Sports and the BBC to help us continue to tell the stories and cover the action of our top knockout competition.”

Premier Sports bring their sports broadcasting to the Scottish domestic scene for the first time. From the 2019-20 season, BBC Scotland will also showcase one live match in rounds one to three.

Supporters will be able to watch four live matches in rounds four to six, with both broadcasters each screening two live games per round on an exclusive basis.

Premier Sports will broadcast one semi-final exclusively while the other semi-final and the final will be shown across both channels.

Richard Webb, chief operating officer at Premier Sports, said: “We look forward to bringing viewers quality coverage of the tournament’s biggest games for the next six years.”

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell.