Celtic Could Be Set for Historic TV Revolution as SPFL Considers Major Broadcasting Change

Celtic supporters could soon have the opportunity to watch every Scottish Premiership fixture live from the UK, including matches scheduled for the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off slot.

The proposed change would represent a significant development for supporters who regularly follow the Hoops but cannot always make the journey to Celtic Park or travel to away fixtures.

Currently, television coverage does not extend to every Celtic league match, while the longstanding Saturday afternoon broadcasting blackout prevents certain fixtures from being shown live to audiences in the UK.

However, that situation could look very different from the 2029/30 campaign.

According to SportBusiness, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has invited broadcasters to submit offers for packages covering every Premiership fixture when the next domestic television rights cycle gets underway.

If the proposal becomes reality, Celtic fans could potentially watch all 38 league matches live, whether they are played on Saturday afternoons, Sundays or during the week.

There is, however, one major obstacle that must be addressed before such an arrangement can be introduced.

Saturday 3pm blackout could finally be removed

The existing broadcasting regulations prevent live football from being shown in the UK between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays.

These restrictions have been in place for decades and are intended to encourage supporters to attend matches in person, particularly across the lower divisions of British football.

For the SPFL’s proposed broadcasting package to include Saturday 3pm fixtures, the relevant football authorities would need to agree to remove the existing restrictions.

SportBusiness reports that the SPFL believes there is a growing possibility of the blackout being lifted before the next television agreements come into effect.

Nevertheless, there has been no official confirmation that the regulations will change, meaning supporters should not expect an immediate difference.

The current arrangements will remain until the conclusion of the 2028/29 season.

What the current Celtic TV arrangements look like

Under the existing domestic broadcasting agreements, Sky Sports has permission to televise up to 60 Scottish Premiership matches each season, while Premier Sports holds rights to another 22 games.

That creates a combined allowance of 82 televised fixtures across a league campaign consisting of 228 matches.

Consequently, even supporters who subscribe to both broadcasters cannot watch every Premiership game live through domestic television coverage.

A new agreement covering the entire league schedule could address that issue and provide supporters with considerably more opportunities to follow their clubs.

However, offering every fixture to broadcasters does not automatically mean one television company will secure the rights to all of them.

The SPFL could still divide the available matches into separate packages, allowing multiple broadcasters to compete for coverage.

This means Celtic supporters could potentially need subscriptions to different services depending on how the eventual agreement is structured.

There are also unanswered questions surrounding subscription costs, with no broadcasters, prices or final arrangements confirmed at this stage.

Scottish football could face an important decision

The financial implications of expanding television coverage will also be closely examined.

Making every Premiership fixture available could create additional commercial opportunities for the SPFL and its member clubs.

However, there is no guarantee that the expanded offering will automatically generate a substantially higher broadcasting contract.

The possible removal of the Saturday blackout could also attract opposition from clubs outside the top flight.

Lower-league sides have traditionally benefited from the restrictions, which are designed to protect attendances by preventing supporters from choosing televised top-flight football instead of attending local matches.

Making Celtic, Rangers and other Premiership fixtures available during that period could therefore raise concerns about the potential impact on smaller clubs.

For Celtic supporters, the proposal nevertheless represents a potentially significant change to how they follow their team.

Being able to watch every domestic league fixture legally from the UK would remove the current gaps in television coverage and offer greater flexibility throughout the season.

For now, the proposal remains under consideration, with several important decisions still to be made.

The earliest possible start date is the 2029/30 campaign, meaning supporters will have to wait until the next broadcasting cycle before discovering whether this proposed television revolution becomes reality.