Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack disputes criticism of SPFL TV deal
- Published
Dave Cormack and Stewart Robertson are at odds over the SPFL TV deal
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has hit back at claims that the SPFL's proposed £150m broadcasting deal with Sky Sports undervalues the Premiership.
With Rangers and Livingston yet to back the proposal, top-flight clubs will meet this week.
Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson claimed Sweden's top clubs receive more than double that TV cash.
Cormack points out that this is because all top-flight games are live on Swedish TV - but not in Scotland.
"Would SPFL Premiership clubs be willing to provide every home game live in order to get the total value of any broadcasting deal much, much higher?" he asks in an open letter.
"The simple answer is no. Because it would cannibalise season ticket sales, gate income, hospitality and retail sales, never mind dramatically impacting on the atmosphere at our games."
Cormack suggests that, even if the SPFL wanted to broadcast every Premiership game live, no TV company would want that many games.
In an interview with Rangers Review, Robertson had been critical of the SPFL for failing to put the broadcasting deal out to tender.
However, Cormack said: "Almost every SPFL member club believes that Sky is the best partner and that this is a good deal that provides certainty over the medium term. The fact that we have not gone out to formal tender does not mean that we've not talked to the market.
"The SPFL's current, proposed and potential broadcasting deals of up to £38m per season shows a significantly higher value per game the SPFL is getting against comparable countries. More than double that of Holland, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark; and, in the case of Norway, almost four times more."
Cormack also made reference to Rangers' dispute with the SPFL over its sponsorship by the cinch car dealership that ended with the Ibrox club no longer being required to participate.
"What we need is to get this Sky deal concluded and to get the never-ending cinch dispute behind us," he added.
Dave Cormack's letter includes a graph comparing TV cash in European countries