SPFL: Clubs still waiting for seven-figure sum of TV money from last season

uneasydaz

uneasydaz

Well-Known Member
A seven-figure sum of television money has yet to be paid to the 42 SPFL clubs by the league because the company's accounts have not yet been signed off.

The money is from the final payment of last season's broadcasting deal and has previously been distributed in October.

The SPFL say the delay is because they can only determine the final amounts due once the accounts are signed off.

They say "a variety of issues are still being finalised and will be clarified in the accounts".

The SPFL hope to publish the accounts by the end of December, with the final deadline for filing them in February 2021.

In six of the past 10 years, the figures have been announced before December.

The delay comes as the Scottish FA estimate the Covid-19 pandemic has cost Scottish football around £70m.

The authorities have also been urging the Scottish government to provide financial assistance or accelerate the return of supporters.

What is the background?​

Following a summer of dispute between some clubs and the SPFL board, Rangers said the league could be liable for refunds of up to £10m from broadcasters and sponsors after the season was called.

In June, the SPFL announced they had struck a deal with Sky Sports to spread the financial settlement for matches that were cancelled - reported to be around £1.5m - across the term of their new, five-year exclusive rights contract.

When asked if there was any prospect of clubs having to return payments, an SPFL spokesman said: "We cannot foresee any possible circumstances in which clubs would have to make any such payments to the SPFL."

A settlement was also reached with BT Sport, whose involvement with Scottish football ended in the summer, a few weeks later for an amount widely reported to be around £2.3m.
 
So they held the gun to the heads of teams by including the caveat that the only way to get the money was by voting for the conclusion to the league. Now we find out that the accounts had to get signed off too? I wonder if teams were made aware of this potential issue when they voted?

"We will pay you out if you vote to end the league and declare champions, but only once our accounts are clarified and signed off in November"

Doesnt quite have the same ring to it, does it?
 
Tim Hunter said:
The repayment to SKY is £1.5m per year of the 5 year contract.
So that is £7.5m + £2.3m= £9.8m. to give the mhankies their tainted title.
I believe. Happy to be corrected.
Click to expand...

It's possible, however I read the figure as £1.5m with the repayment spread over 5 years....I'd actually be delighted if you are right :)
 
Tim Hunter said:
The repayment to SKY is £1.5m per year of the 5 year contract.
So that is £7.5m + £2.3m= £9.8m. to give the mhankies their tainted title.
I believe. Happy to be corrected.
Click to expand...

That's the bit I wasn't sure about, if it was £1.5m spread over 5 years, or £1.5m per year.

The way it's reported in the Mhedia suggests it's £1.5m spread over 5 years, but I'll bet you anything it's actually the £7.5m you've described
 
Get the feeling we are gonna be screwed down the line

tell clubs they want the money then league needs voided or clubs going bust because they have no money whatsoever cos no fans
Or the league itself going bust

one way or another we are gonna be screwed
 
To clarify some queries above the Sky compensation was agreed at a total of £1.5 million.

However, the new deal was set up so that Sky get a further £7 million benefit.

Express Sport understands the agreement with the SPFL will actually enable Sky Sports to show 61 games for the first year of the contract.

That works out at one extra match for each club, plus another extra one for Celtic for the unfurling of the flag game on their first home match of the season.

On the financial terms of the deal that would see each game’s value drop from £520,833 to £404,918, which will see Scottish clubs missing out on just over £7m.

And despite the SPFL insisting the deal is as publicly advertised, Express Sport has seen proof that the recommendation to clubs sent on May 29 included new proposals allowing Sky to broadcast five live matches from their home stadium, and six in the case of Celtic, an addition from the previously agreed four matches for each club.

This comes despite chief executive Neil Doncaster insisting the deal was an ‘excellent outcome’ and that it was ‘vital’ the 12 SPFL clubs approved the deal.

The need to renegotiate with Sky was due to the curtailment of the 2019/20 season, and the broadcaster being due around £5m in compensation for the games they didn’t show.

That debt was renegotiated to £1.5m and will be spread over the five years of the deal at £300,000 a year, meaning Sky will now pay the SPFL clubs £24.7m each season.

But despite Sky offering to cut the debt by 70% on last season they have in fact got a far better deal for the next five years.
 
What a disgraceful organization. All those at the top of the tree , running our game should be chased out the door. Doncaster is a fraud. How they have the brass neck to not pay after assuring clubs, "ending the season is the only way."
Corrupt doesn't even cover it.
 
I dont think the rangers board need to say much on this, just nod at the cameras, raise a glass whilst smoking a cigar.
 
There is a new five-year Scottish Premiership TV deal with Sky Sports worth £30m a year from 2020/21, but this is not really going to move the needle. For example, it’s still only around half of Poland’s Ekstraklasa £58m.

from the Swiss Ramble guy a few days ago on Twitter, just shows you how poor Dungcaster is at his job
 
Tim Hunter said:
The repayment to SKY is £1.5m per year of the 5 year contract.
So that is £7.5m + £2.3m= £9.8m. to give the mhankies their tainted title.
I believe. Happy to be corrected.
Click to expand...
I don’t think that’s right mate.

We have to pay back £1.5million in total. Why would we get fined for the other 4 years when SKY get all the games they paid for? It’s just a proportion of last years cash.
 
Craigie said:
But..but..but...the only way to get the clubs paid was to bend over and let Clubs ram Doncaster up the arse.

After Shifty had fluffed them.
Click to expand...
I was of the understanding that the claimed only way to fast track the money to clubs and stop them going out of business was to call the league early. They did. And they’re STILL waiting for money? Aye. Smell anything off?
 
jaws73 said:
Also, there doesn't seem much point in Doncaster moaning at the Scottish Government regarding financial stress in the game and some clubs maybe going bust when the SPFL haven't even paid out last season's dues.

Laughable doesn't cover it.
Click to expand...
I'd put money on this news being leaked by a club after Doncaster's tearful letter to wee Nippy yesterday. Maybe this will finally teach them that only fools make deals with the Bheast because they have no intention of fulfilling them.
 
uneasydaz said:
A seven-figure sum of television money has yet to be paid to the 42 SPFL clubs by the league because the company's accounts have not yet been signed off.

The money is from the final payment of last season's broadcasting deal and has previously been distributed in October.

The SPFL say the delay is because they can only determine the final amounts due once the accounts are signed off.

They say "a variety of issues are still being finalised and will be clarified in the accounts".

The SPFL hope to publish the accounts by the end of December, with the final deadline for filing them in February 2021.

In six of the past 10 years, the figures have been announced before December.

The delay comes as the Scottish FA estimate the Covid-19 pandemic has cost Scottish football around £70m.

The authorities have also been urging the Scottish government to provide financial assistance or accelerate the return of supporters.

What is the background?​

Following a summer of dispute between some clubs and the SPFL board, Rangers said the league could be liable for refunds of up to £10m from broadcasters and sponsors after the season was called.

In June, the SPFL announced they had struck a deal with Sky Sports to spread the financial settlement for matches that were cancelled - reported to be around £1.5m - across the term of their new, five-year exclusive rights contract.

When asked if there was any prospect of clubs having to return payments, an SPFL spokesman said: "We cannot foresee any possible circumstances in which clubs would have to make any such payments to the SPFL."

A settlement was also reached with BT Sport, whose involvement with Scottish football ended in the summer, a few weeks later for an amount widely reported to be around £2.3m.
Click to expand...
An absolute fkn farce.

He's on about 400k a year and running this shambles

Disgrace
 
Why do they need to have the accounts signed off before they can make the payments?

At the time of the vote shamble (copyrite Celtc FC) the SPFL were very vocal in telling everyone how much the final payment of tv money was, how desperate clubs were to receive their share and how they would only get it if they voted to agree that Shame FC were awarded the SPFL title.

If the amount of money to be distributed to clubs was known back in April, why do they need to wait for the accounts to be signed off?

The payments are based on tv income which was known and just like all other payments/bonuses, figures are agreed in advance. If payments were made back to Sky/BT, then adjustments can be made.

The tv figures are not based upon profits made, so there is absolutely no need to wait until the accounts are signed off to make payment. They should just be treated like any other expense.

Something stinks. Probably the fact that after paying back BT, they don't have any money left to make the payments that they promised and they are simply stalling for time, waiting for the next tranche of money to come in from from Sky or the Government.
 
Most clubs think he's doing a wonderful job. Those clubs would be the first ones to go bust if Karma was real.
 
How long can you cook the books before they turn to mush?? Maybe that's their plan right enough.

Doubtful they have the money. Can Fat Pete bail them out with another shady deal?
 
Carlton The Bear said:
I was of the understanding that the claimed only way to fast track the money to clubs and stop them going out of business was to call the league early. They did. And they’re STILL waiting for money? Aye. Smell anything off?
Click to expand...
Also at the time did they not declare that finishing the league behind closed doors was impossible in Scotland due to the dependence on gate money in Scotland which was very different to the EPL who did play to a finish?

Does that mean that I have dreamt the last 15 Rangers league matches? (Eminently possible, and if so the best wet dream I have ever had)
 
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