SPFL BEEF UP THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP TV COVERAGE

THE SPFL’s television deal has been amended to include the live screening of at least 15 Rangers games and four Edinburgh derbies next season. A five-year contract was agreed in 2012 shortly after the Ibrox club went into liquidation, but the relegation of Hearts and Hibs to join them in the Scottish Championship next season prompted more negotiations this summer. Almost 90 league matches will be shown live across three broadcasters, with Sky and BT Sport showing 70 games between them, including the Rangers games and four Hearts- Hibs fixtures. BBC ALBA will add to its existing coverage — mainly prerecorded 90 minutes of Scottish Premiership games plus a few live games — by screening 16 live matches from the three lower divisions. The coverage kicks off with Rangers’ opening league encounter against Hearts, which is on Sky Sports on Sunday, August 10. Rangers’ second game, at Falkirk, will be shown by BT Sport the following Friday night, while Sky screen the opening Edinburgh derby just two days later. All of Celtic’s four league games in August will be shown live, with three of them kicking off at 12.30pm. Their opening match at St Johnstone remains scheduled for August 13 but their fans face early trips to Inverness and Dundee later in the month. Only the August screenings have been chosen as of yet, and BBC ALBA will announce its initial selections next week. The rearranged live fixtures announced are: Sunday, August 10, Rangers v Hearts — Sky, 1.30pm; Wednesday, August 13, St Johnstone v Celtic — Sky, 7.45pm; Friday, August 15, Falkirk v Rangers — BT Sport, 7.45pm; Saturday, August 16, Celtic v Dundee United — Sky, 12.45pm; Sunday, August 17, Hearts v Hibs — Sky, 12.30pm; Saturday, August 23, Inverness v Celtic — BT Sport, 12.30pm; Sunday, August 31, Dundee v Celtic — BT Sport, 12.30pm.