Scottish Football Must Break Free from Sky Sports and their disrespect
Sky Sports will let anyone mock our league on their channels, while no pundit would dare treat England’s lower tiers or any other European competition with such contempt. So why do we accept it?
From the moment Sky Sports began broadcasting in Scotland’s top flight, there’s been a loud, persistent undertone in their coverage: Scottish football is something to be tolerated, to be joked about, or to be shuffled aside between more glamorous leagues. As a supporter who has covered this game from weed infested terraces to neon-lit stadiums, it’s not just frustration at a bad broadcast; it’s a question of respect, value, and the future of our game. Sky Sports has a platform, a reach, and a reputation that could lift Scottish football to new heights - but once again we are faced with a Sky Sports pundit in the guise of Jamie O’Hara making a mockery of Scottish Football - another example of the broadcaster’s clear disrespect for our league. Where else would a washed-up former Pro be allowed to belittle the league he’s paid to cover, while no one would dare treat England’s lower leagues or any other European competition with such contempt?
The pattern is clear to anyone who cares about the sport’s long-term health. Scottish football is repeatedly framed as a joke, fringe product - something that exists in a different time zone of football, one that’s suited to quick punchlines, memes, and dramatic zingers rather than serious, nuanced analysis. The effect isn’t purely cosmetic. When coverage treats Celtic, Rangers, and the rest of the SPFL as punchlines, it filters down to fans, players, and sponsors.
Pundits with ties to bias, not balance, are the problem. A broadcast partner with a national platform should model impartial analysis and informed debate. Instead, the tone too often veers toward partisan banter, with pre-existing loyalties colouring every post-match verdict and every tactical breakdown. This isn’t a simple disagreement about footballing philosophy; it’s a culture that rewards swagger over substance and parody over precision. When a pundit’s words carry an impression that Scottish football is merely a backdrop for bigger leagues’ excitement, the league’s credibility is chipped away slowly, stone by stone.
The result is a toxic narrative ecosystem. Players, managers, and club staff confront a media environment where the value of a footballing decision can be judged by how entertaining it is to mock or sensationalise, rather than by its strategic merit or its impact on a club’s 10-year plan. Fans who pour time, money, and emotion into supporting their teams aren’t asking for deference - they’re asking for fair treatment, informed debate, and coverage that reflects the competitive reality across the SPFL, not just a single, easily consumable storyline.
And what about the perceived purpose of this coverage? In a climate where rights holders seek to monetise attention, there is a temptation to fill air time with conflict, controversy, and controversy-adjacent content. When Scottish football is used as a convenient filler between more prominent leagues or marquee fixtures, it signals a broader disinterest - an assumption that the product isn’t worth serious cultivation. That assumption is corrosive, not merely ignorant, because it narrows the market for Scottish football’s genuine talents and storylines, limiting opportunities for sponsorship, player development, and international recognition.
The governance question is inescapable. If a league signs up for a lucrative broadcast deal, the relationship with the broadcaster should come with a shared ambition: to elevate the product, to tell the full spectrum of Scottish football’s narratives, and to respect the hundreds of clubs that drive communities forward each week. Sky Sports, as the principal conduit of that narrative, has responsibilities beyond ratings and revenue. It has a duty to present the game accurately, to avoid caricature, and to provide room for the complexities of coaching, development, and competition that define the SPFL. When those duties are ignored - or selectively applied - the entire system bears the cost.
The SPFL isn’t absolved of responsibility here. If the league’s leadership willingly tolerates a narrative that undermines the game’s value, it sends a signal to sponsors, broadcasters, and fans that the status quo governs. A robust, principled stance is required. Publicly defending the integrity of Scottish football, demanding rigorous standards for punditry, and applying clear channels for feedback and accountability would signal a renewed commitment to the game’s dignity and potential. The SPFL must not allow its relationships to become one-sided: revenue without respect is a bargain that poisons long-term growth.
Neil Doncaster’s role in this is critical and, in many fans’ view, in need of recalibration. Governance isn’t about defending a hierarchy; it’s about safeguarding the game’s brand, its competitiveness, and its connection to the communities that sustain it. If the current approach implies that editorial tone and media perception are less important than quarterly revenue, then the governance model isn’t serving the sport’s broader interests. A recalibrated, transparent framework - one that involves fans, smaller clubs, and regional voices in setting media standards - would help restore trust and demonstrate that the league’s leadership takes media representation seriously.
But there is a counterpoint - one that remains central to the soul of Scottish football: per-head support. The passion in Scotland isn’t a byproduct of a few big clubs or a short-term media narrative; it’s a living relationship between communities and their teams. This loyalty isn’t a passive asset; it’s a competitive edge. It signals a readiness to invest, to participate in club projects, and to engage with content that speaks honestly to the pain and triumphs of the game. Scottish Football’s supporter culture burns at a scale that outstrips many leagues when measured on a per-capita basis including the English Premier League, and that should be the compass for how the SPFL and the broadcaster moves forward.
So, what should be done? The path forward isn’t simply to complain about a few bad segments or to demand apology reactions. It’s to reframe the relationship around respect, accountability, and shared ambition:
Establish editorial standards for coverage: A formal code of practice would require balanced analysis, accurate representation of tactical realities, and a clear separation between opinion and fact. It would also require consequences for repeated disrespect or mischaracterisation.
Create a joint media advisory mechanism: A board comprising club representatives, fan groups, and independent observers could monitor coverage patterns, review complaints, and propose constructive remedies. This mechanism would help translate fans’ lived experiences into tangible changes.
Diversify content and distribution: Put energy into club-led programming, behind-the-scenes features, and regional broadcasts that tell authentic stories from across Scotland. A multi-channel approach protects against over-reliance on a single broadcaster and enriches the narrative with voices from every corner of the SPFL.
Harness the strength of per-head support: Use loyal fan engagement as a strategic asset in sponsorship negotiations, community campaigns, and youth development programs. Authentic storytelling - rooted in real clubs, real people, and real memories - can attract brands seeking genuine connections with communities.
Seek independent evaluation: Commission periodic analyses of how broadcast narratives affect attendance, viewership, and sponsorship sentiment. Use findings to guide future deals and content strategies, ensuring that the game’s long-term health is the primary objective.
This isn’t about erasing debate or quashing criticism. It’s about insisting that the conversation around Scottish football reflects the reality on the pitch: a league of passion, resilience, and meaningful competition. It’s about demanding respect for the people who make the game work - players who train in cold mornings, managers who navigate finite resources, club staff who stretch budgets to keep doors open, and fans who travel in all weathers to keep the dream alive.
Should Sky Sports get the boot?
However, there comes a point when enough’s enough. A line has to be drawn in the sand, and for Scottish football, that time is now. If Neil Doncaster and the SPFL club chairmen have a shred of ambition, dignity, or even basic self-respect left for the game, they need to march into the next rights meeting with Sky Sports, look those executives in the eye, and tell them to shove their new broadcast deal up their arse. No more bend-and-scrape, no more “thank you sir, can I some more?” for being served up as a punchline in Sky Sports studios.
Sky Sports has had its fun at our expense, parading out third-rate pundits who couldn’t name half the teams in our league without a crib sheet, treating Scottish football as cheap filler and our passionate support as something to mock. All the while, we’re treated to the constant drone of disrespect - the “only in Scotland” jibes, the knowing smirks, the critical pile-ons that would collapse into lawsuits if levelled at the Premier League. To hell with it. It’s time to break this cycle of self-inflicted humiliation.
So where do we go if we finally stand up to the bullies and walk away? The answer stares us in the face every time we pick up a phone or flick open a laptop. Amazon and Apple have the cash, the tech, and - most importantly - the hunger to shake things up in sports streaming. They’re investing in content, building global subscriber bases, and have the sort of forward-thinking football coverage that doesn’t depend on a tired old boys’ network. Offer Scottish football to them, warts and all, with the simple pitch: we’ve got the best per-head support in Europe, a drama-filled league, huge derbies, and a fiercely loyal audience just waiting for someone to show their game some respect.
Let Amazon or Apple swallow the risk. Outfit them with a package of games, digital highlights, studio shows, and let them target committed fans here and expats abroad. With their reach and data nous, they’d actually know how to find people who want to watch, instead of hiding us on Sunday afternoons with barely a word of pre-match buildup and a studio that looks like it was thrown together by the intern on work experience.
If the tech giants pass - or Doncaster’s team can’t close the deal which is more likely - then it’s time for Scottish football to take it into our own hands. Club together, partner up with an established production company, and launch a proper SPFL TV channel. Get the cameras into every stadium - yes, even the ones with sheds for stands - produce matchday content, archive footage, highlights, and raw documentary material that shows the world what’s so special about our game and our people.
Why should this be a pipe dream? YouTube’s broadcasting platform means barriers to entry have never been lower. Plenty of lower-league clubs and non-league sides worldwide already deliver multi-camera, high-quality live streams as standard. God, even fan websites and fan podcasts have been doing this and growing for the past two decades. Build a subscription network and offer match packages - livestreams, replays, analysis, club features, fan culture spotlights, scouting content, interviews with grassroots legends - and split the proceeds fairly between clubs. The platform’s global, it’s accessible, and most of all: it puts our own game in our hands, free from the sneers of media execs with zero skin in the Scottish scene.
Production partners can be found locally or globally - Scotland is crawling with talented filmmakers, tech companies, and creative agencies starved for serious projects. With the backing of club networks, sponsorships, and a unified league message, the initial investment would pay off in pride as well as pounds. Young fans want authenticity and access, not corporate gloss and the same tired soundbites from pundits who last attended a Scottish match when they were getting paid to be there.
The SPFL has a community, a brand, and leagues begging for someone to tell their story properly. Stop outsourcing that narrative to people who despise us. It’s time for Doncaster and every club in this country to either demand more or do it ourselves. Scottish football is more than a rights package - it’s a nation’s week-to-week heartbeat, and it deserves a spotlight that amplifies rather than mocks.
How much revenue could SPFL expect from launching its own channel?
Based on the latest SPFL accounts and expert estimates, the league currently receives around £29–£37 million per season from its Sky Sports TV deal and related broadcast contracts. Some valuations - like those prepared for analysis of setting up an SPFL TV channel - suggest it could realistically generate between £40–£50 million per season if it managed production, subscriptions, advertising, and sponsorships directly, particularly by targeting diaspora and global fans through streaming platforms like YouTube and strategic partner apps.
If Scottish football could convince just half of the estimated 700,000 current Sky Sports subscribers in Scotland to subscribe directly at £20 per month (which is conservative given its per-head support), it would yield £84 million per year, before factoring in advertising and sponsorship revenue. Even a more modest conversion - say, 200,000 subscribers - would net approximately £48 million, putting it in the same ballpark as the current Sky deal.
Additional upside comes from including Scottish national team, women’s league, youth, reserve, cup, and club-specific content in the offering, as well as targeted advertising and content sponsorships that are difficult under the current exclusive rights arrangement.
While setup costs for production and marketing are significant, moving to its own channel gives the SPFL full ownership and flexibility over its product, allowing for better global reach and innovative direct-to-consumer models that could increase overall league revenues over time.
A well-executed SPFL TV channel or streaming partnership has the realistic potential to match or surpass current broadcast revenues, provided there is strong leadership, quality production, and strategic marketing to convert Scotland’s unmatched fan loyalty into paid subscriptions, advertising, and sponsorship. And that is why, when Sky Sports is given the boot, the inept Neil Doncaster must follow.
Scottish football must not be a punchline any longer for English broadcasters who love to belittle anything to do with Scotland. If you can’t sell our game with the respect it deserves, then we must take it elsewhere - be it to Amazon, Apple, or out onto the global airwaves ourselves.
We’re off, and we’re taking our history, our stories, and our supporters with us.
As for Jamie O’Hara, stick to trying to catfish clueless American women looking for love on two-bit reality dating shows by claiming you are a really, really famous Soccer player in England.