ESPN+ Gains U.S. Media Rights for the Scottish Premiership in English, Spanish

ESPN+ has acquired the U.S. media rights in both English and Spanish to the Scottish Premiership, the top professional soccer league in Scotland. As part of the agreement, the direct-to-consumer sports streaming service will carry at least one Scottish Premiership match per week, beginning October 17, and will also have coverage of select matches from the Scottish Championship, Betfred Cup (Scottish League Cup), and Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup (Scottish Challenge Cup).

“The Scottish Premiership on ESPN+ will offer fans tradition, intensity, rivalries and some of the most passionately supported clubs in the world – and will add further to the most comprehensive lineup of soccer available in the U.S.,” said Russell Wolff, executive vice president and general manager, ESPN+.

The Scottish Premiership is one of the oldest and most-storied leagues in football, and features one of the most intense rivalries in any sport – the “Old Firm” rivalry between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. The first competitive derby between the two was in 1888, two years before the launch of the Scottish League in 1890. Rangers have a slight lead in the matchup with 162 wins. Celtic has 159 victories, and there has been 99 ties for a total 420 competitive matches between the clubs. The “Old Firm” will become a hallmark of the Scottish Premier League on ESPN+.