THE SPFL has launched a new live domestic streaming service which will see the league produce and broadcast William Hill Championship, League 1 & 2 matches on behalf of clubs on a pay-per-view basis.
Coverage will begin with live coverage of all William Hill League 1 and League 2 matches taking place this Saturday, 15 August.
The SPFL Player can be accessed via www.spflplayer.com and will soon be available within the UK and Ireland on all app stores.
It will stream league matches across the three divisions not already aired by BBC Scotland or BBC ALBA on matchdays where broadcast blocked hours are not applicable.
Matches in William Hill League 1 and 2 are available to purchase this Saturday, due to the reduced league card around the Premier Sports Cup last 16.
The move follows the successful trial by the SPFL in May, which saw every William Hill SPFL play-off match broadcast live and positive discussions with clubs around new ways to improve the delivery of live matches.
A 24-hour pass to watch a match costs £10.99 and is available for fans in the UK and Ireland. Supporters will also be able to view all of the non-top-flight league matches taking place that day on catch up.
The SPFL will produce and stream the matches, with revenue distributed back to the home club in each fixture.
Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, said: “The launch of the SPFL Player is an important step forward for the league and our clubs, as well as great news for supporters.
“For the first time, fans in the UK and Ireland will be able to watch their team in the William Hill Championship, League 1 and League 2 whenever matches fall outside blocked hours — whether they’re unable to attend on the day or following their club online.
“Following the success of last season’s play-off broadcasts, we’ve been in ongoing discussions with clubs about new ways to enhance the production quality of matches, and the SPFL Player delivers that while returning revenue directly to them.
“It’s easy, simple and secure for fans to buy a live stream. They just need to go online to www.spflplayer.com and follow the prompts, and the money generated will directly financially help their club.
“We’d lastly like to thank our clubs for their collaborative work to make this possible, and hope supporters enjoy this new offering this season.”
Non-blocked hour dates for this season include August 15, September 12, September 26, November 14, March 27 and May 1, plus further potential dates to be confirmed in due course.
Further details will be provided on which games can be purchased on the SPFL Player as the season progresses.
