SPFL Execs In Talks With Tech Firms In Bid To Secure Best TV Deal

Scottish football execs "have held face-to-face talks with some of the world's richest companies in their bid" to find the best TV deal, according to Neil Cameron of the HERALD SCOTLAND. The current contract with Sky and BT Sports runs out in '20 and Scottish Professional Football League CEO Neil Doncaster "is expected to announce a new TV agreement before the end of this year." Scottish Premiership side Hamilton Academical Vice-Chair Les Gray, a former SPFL board member, revealed the league is "a long way down the line to signing a contract which will be hugely beneficial to the Scottish game." Gray: "I have been at lots of meeting at Sky and BT Sports with the SPFL board and it was all positive. ... I can tell you that Neil has met with our TV rights specialist, a guy called Phil Lines, and in turn they have met with Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google to name a few. They have reported back to the clubs in a confidential manner" (HERALD SCOTLAND, 8/15).