Irish media company Setanta is set to sign a new deal with the Scottish Premier league tomorrow worth more than £50 million (€72 million).
The Irish company is prepared to invest about €13 million a year to secure the rights to 60 live games a season from Scotland. The deal will run from next season until 2010. Setanta has refused to comment.
Representatives of the Scottish Premier league are expected to meet at Hampden Park tomorrow to vote on the deal. That vote is likely to be positive as the deal will greatly increase the league's revenues. At present Setanta has rights to 38 live matches, which it negotiated in 2004.
The main beneficiaries of the money will be the two biggest Scottish Premier league clubs - Celtic and Rangers. Celtic this year won the league in the first season under manager Gordon Strachan.
While Celtic easily won the league and many of the games were one-sided, Setanta has been happy with viewing figures achieved for key games. It is estimated that, since it first started broadcasting live Scottish football in 2004, viewing figures are up 36 per cent. The resurgence of Hearts under the ownership of millionaire Vladimir Romanov has helped dispel the perception of the league as a two-horse race.
Setanta was anxious to cut a new deal with the league and was determined to see off any competing offers from the likes of BSkyB. There was some concern a few weeks ago that Celtic and Rangers would not want to tie themselves into such a long-term deal, but indications from Scotland suggest they are now willing to sign a new deal with Setanta.
Setanta, which has significant backing from Benchmark Capital Europe, is also in the running for the English Premiership rights which are likely to be decided this week, too.
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