Celtic in 'bust-up with broadcasters'

Celtic have ‘drawn a line in the sand’ after pulling out of a contract granting subscription channel Premier Sports the rights to 20 Scottish Premier League games.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie said it’s “great” for the fans that the club has taken a stand and expressed they don’t want to consistently play late Saturday games.

Sky holds the rights to broadcast 60 Scottish Premier League games this season, limiting them to five visits per stadium, with Celtic Park already hosting two of those matches.

An agreement to sell a secondary package to Irish broadcaster Premier grants them the right to broadcast up to two additional games from any Scottish Premier League stadium.

Celtic right to prioritise fans over money

Celtic were offered £75,000 for each additional home game, up to a maximum of £150,000 for two, but were hesitant to disrupt match-going fans by moving more 3 pm Saturday kick-offs to later times.

Celtic’s top-of-the-table clash against Aberdeen will no longer be televised after the club pulled out of the deal to prioritise match-going fans but fans will be able to watch the game on the club’s in-house channel, Celtic TV.

“luckily I’ve got Celtic TV so I can watch it because they’ve stopped the TV”, McAvennie told Football Insider.

“Celtic are fed up playing Saturday nights, Sundays, all that kind of stuff so they’ve said ‘No, we’re not doing it.’

“It’s great that they’ve done that for the fans, I’m pleased, I’m really pleased.

“It’s just going to be shown on Celtic TV, I’ll sit down on the Saturday afternoon and watch it.

“Coming back from Germany and going straight up to Ross County, that’s just not on.

“They’ve just drawn a line in the sand and said ‘Look, we don’t need this.

“When they’re not paying a lot of money, the fans deserve more.

“A lot of fans come from Ireland, it’s a five and half hour journey and five and a half hours back.

“People have to trains, ferries, and planes and for the SFA or whoever it is to just change it, it’s not right.

“Celtic just made a stance and says, no, this is a top-of-the-table clash, we’re not showing it, we’re going to do it in three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.

“Just like the old days, and may the best team win, and I think it will be Celtic.

“I hope it’s everything that a top-of-the-table class should be. And obviously Aberdeen comes second, that would be great.”

In other news, Celtic told to finalise Kieran Tierney deal after new twist.

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