80 million quid.
Not be sniffed at. Five years of stability at a time of economic uncertainty.
So well done to the SPL on the signing of their new TV deal?
Not exactly.
£16 million a season (that's the figure being widely reported) for 60 live games. 30 games a season on ESPN and 30 more, Old Firm jamborees included, on Sky.

If European exits weren't enough to depress us each summer we can always count on the annual Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC) report into the finances of the SPL to send our mood the way of the August weather.
Another year, another slap in the face for those of searching longingly for the fabled green shoots of recovery.

Viewing figures released today that reveal a 28 per cent year-on-year increase for live Scottish Premier League games could prove an key bargaining tool in forthcoming discussions over television rights.

The SPL's dream of a ten team top league seems ever further away after Dundee United's board confirmed their decision to vote against the proposal.
United chairman Stephen Thompson said:
"We had a board meeting today and as far as we're concerned we're unconvinced that this is the way forward for Scottish football.

Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller He got hair down to his knee Got to be a joker he just do what he please
Beware. The SPL's very own old flattop fool hoves into view once more.
Neil Doncaster has been keeping a low profile of late, consumed as we have been with summits and spats, songs and suspensions.

The SPL sales drive for their shiny new double decker continues. Ten up. Twelve down.
The Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser reported yesterday:

Neil Doncaster will today meet with all 30 SFL clubs as the push for league reconstruction continues.
The SPL chief executive is to lay out his organisation's proposals for change at the SFL quarterly meeting of clubs at Hampden.

Another day, another SPL brainwave.
This time it's the idea of an SPL TV channel. The SPL have drafted in IMG Media to look into the feasibility of launching their own channel. Not a new idea but an idea apparently reborn in the last few weeks.
Let us then applaud the SPL for exploring all avenues.

Patrick Kavanagh on The Drum website has an interesting blog in favour of a ten team SPL, comparing it to the idea of "contraction" in US sport where the number of teams is reduced to increase the talent on show.
I don't agree with his theory or some his arguments and I'm not sure his idea of complete parity in the share of TV revenues will ever happen.

Blue Monday. The most depressing day of the year.
Fitting that it was today we heard another version of the SPL's grand new plan for Scottish football.
Forget the two ten team leagues idea of a couple of weeks ago. The head honchos have listened to the near universal condemnation of that plan.

"Scottish Premier League officials have been forced into a tactical retreat in their campaign to cut the number of clubs in the top flight from 12 to ten. That reduction was due to be the subject of a vote at a meeting of SPL clubs next Monday, but the vote has now been postponed in the face of mounting opposition.