Overseas fans were unable to watch Steven Gerrard's first league match in charge of Rangers on Saturday.GETTY IMAGES
Scottish football went on sale Monday after Scottish Professional Football League execs "ripped up the TV rights deal which had threatened a worldwide blackout of the new season," according to Keith Jackson of the Scotland DAILY RECORD. Overseas broadcasters "feared they might have to pull the plug on the top flight" because the firm supplying live coverage is "on the brink of collapse." A potential audience of tens of millions across the Middle East, Australia and North Africa were "denied coverage" of Saturday's action. But the SPFL's "cash-stricken" media partner, MP & Silva, has "failed to stump up payments to continue selling the Scottish game abroad" -- allowing SPFL CEO Neil Doncaster to "terminate the cut-price deal five years ahead of schedule." As of Monday morning, the SPFL was "free to negotiate individual deals with broadcasters from around the world," including Qatar-based beIN Sports (DAILY RECORD, 8/13). The BBC reported the contract with MP & Silva was signed in '13. Doncaster said that terminating the contract will "have no material impact on the record-breaking club fees paid and expected to be paid for season 2017/18." He added, "Scottish football is growing in popularity at home and abroad. This also allows us to explore opportunities to give even more fans worldwide the chance to watch our games" (BBC, 8/13). STV NEWS' Andy Coyle reported MP & Silva has been described as being "in a state of paralysis," with Serie A taking court action over the agency's failure to meet its obligations (STV NEWS, 8/13).
