Daily Mail: SPFL move to change league rules in an attempt to force through a new £30m-a-year broadcasting contract with Sky Sports after Rangers failed to provide response on potential increase of fixture coverage

Story from Daily Mail:

The SPFL have moved to change league rules in a bid to force through a new £30million-a-year broadcasting contract with Sky Sports at the second attempt.

Granted 28 days to vote on a resolution recommending an extension to the current contract, the 12 Premiership clubs were also asked to provide a letter of waiver agreeing to let Sky increase the number of home games they show from each ground each season from four to five.

Eleven clubs sent the letter before the deadline of midnight on Sunday, with only Rangers failing to respond.

During weekend correspondence with the SPFL, the Ibrox club highlighted their wish for a meeting of Premiership clubs to discuss a contentious sponsorship deal with online car firm cinch.

Despite an offer from league chairman Murdoch MacLennan to convene a meeting later this month, the concession failed to draw a waiver letter from Rangers and the resolution collapsed.

Responding to concern amongst other clubs that the move could jeopardise the new Sky contract, the SPFL board held crisis talks yesterday afternoon and agreed to send out a new resolution.

The Qualified Resolution would remove the need for a waiver letter and will be voted on by all 42 senior clubs.

To pass it requires the support of 90 per cent of the Premiership, 75 per cent of the clubs in the Premiership and Championship combined and 75 per cent of the clubs in Leagues One and Two combined. The SPFL have asked clubs to return their votes by 5pm next Monday.

Privately, Rangers are believed to harbour concerns over the league’s reluctance to put the broadcasting contract out to tender to invite higher offers.

Criticised by supporters who believe it undersells Scottish football, the proposed new agreement would see the broadcaster increase the maximum number of games they can show from 48 to 60 a season from 2024/25.

In return, Sky are prepared to increase annual payments to Premiership clubs from the current figure of £25m to £30m by season 2028/29.

The broadcasters have also secured first refusal on two additional bundles of 10 games at a cost of £4m each from 2024/25.

Exercise that option and coverage of Scotland’s top flight could increase to 80 games a season, with clubs raking in a total of £38m per annum.

Rangers have cited persistent concerns over corporate governance within the SPFL, and called for the resignation of MacLennan, chief executive Neil Doncaster, and legal advisor Rod MacKenzie in April 2020 and that stance has not changed.

Last year, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson suggested that rights to the national game had been ‘undersold’.

However, an independent review of the game’s finances by Deloitte found that, on a price-per-game basis, the deal brokered by the SPFL stood up favourably to other comparable nations.

A new vote on the second resolution is likely now to become a de facto vote of confidence in the league office bearers.