The SPFL could be in for a fight to get their broadcast money from BT Sport.
The broadcaster has a deal in place for live fixtures until the end of the current season including exclusive rights to the Premiership Play-Offs.
BT Sport and Sky Sports has shared coverage of the SPFL over the last five seasons but from next term Sky Sports will have exclusive rights.
Every area of sport will be hit by the Coronavirus crisis with customers cancelling TV subscriptions with no sign of football resuming over the next three or four months.
BT Sport are committed to the Champions League and Europa League for another three years but with their SPFL deal effectively over they could be in dispute with part of their deal unfulfilled.
In the Daily Record Keith Jackson writes:
Also, if a line is drawn in the season now, the SPFL ought to be able to distribute the end of season prize money early, so long as the broadcasters are still prepared to hand it over which may be another battle entirely.
They too could choose to argue that they have been treated unfairly given that they didn’t get a full season for their cash and they will probably be on solid legal ground. While Sky might take a longer-term view to protect subscription numbers for next season, the outgoing bosses of BT Sport will have no such concerns.
UEFA will meet tomorrow with some level of decisions expected with Euro 2020 likely to be the first casualty.
Confirmation from the UK Government that the season is over is required before the SPFL an go to broadcasters and sponsors to get final payments for the current season.
Like BT Sport, Ladbrokes sponsorship ends this season, which is increasingly looking like it is now over.
A basic guide to cash reserves, based on last published data from @Barcabhoy1 (other variables include Euro ? and fans renewing season tickets though that seems unlikely in present crisis) pic.twitter.com/jcdd58q4Ym
— Bella Caledonia (@bellacaledonia) March 16, 2020