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SNP take Scottish football deal to BBC

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SportsceneThe SNP have warned the BBC that they want to see Scottish football get a fair cut of licence payers money.

Earlier this year the BBC agreed to pay £60m a year to show FA Premier League highlights on their Match of the Day show despite no other offers for terrestrial rights.

Under their current deal, which has one more season to run, BBC Scotland pay around £1m a year for SPFL highlights on their Sunday night Sportscene slot.

Fans have long been unhappy about the quality and production of the Sportscene programme which barely showcases the Scottish game with the obvious contrast in quality to Match of the Day.

While commercial broadcasters are at liberty to decide their own value for any rights package the BBC has a public service duty that most supporters in Scotland feels is loaded strongly against the domestic game.

In a statement on the SNP website Glasgow South MSP James Dornan said: “The future of Scottish football is very important, and our domestic game needs a proportionate share of money in order to help build for the future.

It is only right that if audiences in Scotland are helping to fund these major financial broadcasting rights packages, our game here is given proportional investment back.

A football accountancy expert has argued that Scottish football is worth ten times more than the rights secured – unless the issue of Scottish football clubs being short-changed is addressed, then our clubs will have their prospects undermined.

I am calling on the football governing bodies to do all they can to address this, and to continue to ensure that young people are inspired to play the beautiful game.”

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