Sony Six wins broadcast rights of the Scottish Professional Football League

In partnership with sports media rights agency MP & Silva, SPFL has signed a three-year broadcast partnership deal with the channel to showcase the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League One in India for the first time, covering the 2013/2014 to 2015/2016 seasons.

The announcement comes close on the heels of the announcement that Sony Six has also won the telecast rights of UEFA EURO 2016, Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016 and the European Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2018.

The agreement with Sony Six includes broadcast rights for more than 70 SPFL matches that include Rangers FC coverage across all media platforms and devices, including television, mobile and internet media platforms.

The Scottish Premiership and Scottish League One season begins on the weekend of August 2-4, 2013.

Neil Doncaster, chief executive, SPFL, says, "We are delighted to partner with Sony Six to broadcast the new Scottish Premiership and Scottish League One into India for the first time. They are the ideal partners to generate local interest in our League. India is a major market for sports content and we look forward to working closely with Sony Six and MP & Silva to grow our audience in this hugely populated country where the consumption of football continues to gain momentum."

Man Jit Singh, CEO, MSM India, says, "It has been our constant endeavour to bring other sports in a cricket crazy nation like ours. Considering the rise of youth interest in football, this gives us a great opportunity to bring viewers one of the most formidable football leagues. We are thrilled to have acquired the broadcasting rights of the SPFL and we look forward to contribute to the growing interest of football in India."

N P Singh, COO, MSM India, adds, "The Scottish Premiership garners significant international attention and is another great addition to the catalogue of Six's international sports content. The acquisition continues our momentum in establishing our foothold in diverse sports offerings. The Scottish Premiership is a great sporting property that will not only help us develop this sport in India but also continue to expand the fan base of football in India.

Andrea Radrizzani, group CEO, MP & Silva, says, "This new partnership between SPFL and Sony Six underlines our ability to offer compelling content for broadcasters and business solutions for rights holders. We look forward to working with the SPFL to explore new markets to further build on the profile of the league globally."

MP & Silva was appointed by the SPFL in June to be its exclusive distributor of the live media rights outside the European Union territories. The multi-media rights cover cable, satellite, terrestrial, betting, mobile and internet platforms, apart from those retained by club channels from season 2014/2015.