SCOTTISH PREMIER League chief executive Neil Doncaster hopes a new five-year television deal with Sky Sports and ESPN will help boost their search for a new title sponsor.
The SPL announced yesterday they have agreed “substantially improved terms” with the broadcasters in a deal which takes effect from the start of next season and runs until 2017.
Doncaster declined to discuss the figures involved, however it is believed the new contract is worth €93 million.
The SPL had previously secured a €15 million annual commitment from the broadcasters when they signed the initial contract in 2009.
The news comes less than two weeks after the SPL revealed they had launched the search for a new title sponsor, with the Clydesdale Bank set to end their current sponsorship at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
Doncaster said: “It’s vital to have a robust broadcast partner announced before you start the search for a new title sponsor.
“The timing is not of our choosing but the reality is, with Clydesdale Bank having made their decision, this puts us in a really good position to go to the market.
“It’s only been a couple of days. The search starts now. To start the search on the back of a robust new contract with Sky and ESPN is the best possible way to do that.”
Millwall goalkeeper David Forde could face a spell on the sidelines after a recurrence of his thigh injury. Forde passed a late fitness check on the problem, which forced him to withdraw from the Republic of Ireland squad last week, but lasted only 35 minutes of Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Bristol City.
“It’s his thigh muscle, he felt it was tight,” said manager Kenny Jackett. “However long he is out now we have to get it right because it’s been lingering for a couple of weeks. He pulled out of the Ireland squad and obviously it hasn’t quite recovered.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)