BSkyB favourite to get SPL rights

BSkyB is favourite to acquire the rights to broadcast Scottish Premier League football matches after Setanta failed to meet a payment deadline.

Lex Gold, SPL executive chairman, said yesterday: “Setanta missed the deadline for the £3 million we set for them. We set three deadlines and we wanted to work with Setanta who have been a great partner of ours.

“They have spent £60 million supporting Scottish football and our board were determined to give them every possible chance to work through the problems that they had. That process has been lengthy and intensive but the deadline today was the final deadline so our right reverted to us as of 3pm today.”

The SPL is understood to have been in talks with Sky for a number of weeks regarding a £90m rescue plan – £35 million less than Setanta originally paid for the rights – according to a report on MediaGuardian.co.uk.

As well as defaulting on its payments to the SPL, Setanta has lost the rights to show 46 English Premier League matches after missing a £10 million payment last Friday (see Broadcasters to bid for Setanta football rights).