SPFL invites bids for Scottish Premiership TV rights from 2029-30
The battle to screen Scotland's top flight from 2029 has begun.
The Scottish Professional Football League, the body that runs the country's league competitions, has invited UK broadcasters to bid for live rights to the William Hill Premiership from the 2029-30 season. The call for offers was listed on the SPFL website on 20 October 2026 as "UK audio-visual William Hill Premiership rights ITT" SPFL. ITT is short for invitation to tender, a formal request for bids.
The move starts the countdown to the end of the current arrangement. Sky Sports holds a five-year deal worth £150m that runs to the end of the 2028-29 campaign BBC Sport. Under that deal, Sky can show up to 60 Premiership games a season BBC Sport.
Premier Sports, the other current live rights holder, can show up to 22 top-flight fixtures a season. The SPFL says it is flexible about how many games will be shown live under the next contract. Chief executive Neil Doncaster leads the organisation as it tests the market.
The league says it anticipates strong interest from broadcasters BBC Sport. That is a statement of confidence, not a done deal. No bidders, timetables for a decision, or asking price have been disclosed.
One tournament is not part of this auction. The SPFL has a separate contract with Premier Sports covering broadcast and sponsorship rights for the Scottish League Cup, the cup competition for league clubs. That deal runs until at least the end of the 2030-31 season and will not be affected by the Premiership invitation.
For context, the league previously extended rights deals with the BBC and Infront to run until 2029 after an extensive tender process that attracted multiple bids. Those extensions sit outside the Premiership live rights now going to market.
What makes this stand out is the long runway. By going to market now for 2029-30, the league gives broadcasters time to plan schedules and budgets. It also gives itself room to shape the shape of the offer, including the final number of live games.
For fans, this means little changes right now. The current pattern of coverage holds until 2029. The longer question is simple: how many Scottish top-flight matches will be on live television in the next decade, and where will viewers find them.
