Daily Mail: SPFL set to hold emergency talks as £30m-a-year TV deal with Sky Sports is thrown into doubt after Rangers failed to provide response on potential increase of fixture coverage

Story from Daily Mail:

The board of the SPFL will hold emergency talks after a new £30million a year broadcasting agreement between Sky Sports and the SPFL was thrown into doubt.

Granted 28 days to vote on a resolution recommending an extension to the current contract 12 clubs from the Scottish Premiership 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.

While eleven top flight clubs agreed to the request by the deadline of midnight on Sunday the league received no response from Rangers and the resolution collapsed.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement the broadcaster would be entitled to increase the maximum number of games they show from 48 to 60 a season from season 2024/25. In return Sky are prepared to increase annual payments to Premiership clubs from the current figure of £25million to £30m by season 2028/29.

The broadcasters have also secured first refusal on two additional bundles of 10 games at a cost of £4million 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 £38million per annum.

An issue which would normally require an 8-4 majority of Premiership clubs, all 12 clubs were required to grant their consent to the change of rule on how many games Sky could show from every stadium. Despite broad support for the deal at a meeting on clubs on August 5, the resolution failed to garner the necessary support and failed.

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

The board of the SPFL will now hold emergency talks to consider their next move. An attempt to change of rules to force the controversial Sky deal through at the second attempt is one option on the table. While that would only require an 11-1 majority from Premiership clubs all 42 senior clubs in the SPFL pyramid would be required to vote on the matter.

Currently in dispute with the league hierachy over a controversial sponsorship deal with online car firm cinch, the Ibrox side want a meeting with other Premiership clubs to highlight their concerns over the issue.

And in a late attempt to persuade the Rangers board to provide a letter of waiver and salvage the Sky deal Sportsmail understands that SPFL Chairman Murdoch MacLennan offered to convene a summit later this month.

Citing persistent concerns over corporate governance within the league the Europa League finalists 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.’ And any new vote by clubs over the Sky deal is likely now to become a de facto vote of confidence in the league office bearers.