Celtic have chosen not to allow Premier Sports to air the top-of-the-table clash against Aberdeen at Parkhead next Saturday.
Sky Sports, who have the rights to show a maximum of five games at Celtic Park each season, have already broadcast two matches at the stadium, leaving them with three matches to choose from. They’ll likely show the Glasgow Derby, a post-split match, and the final game of the season, as they traditionally do. Using that final slot for October’s fixture against Aberdeen was deemed too big a risk by the broadcaster and would see them potentially miss out on a derby or big post-split match.
Celtic were offered £75,000 per additional home game to allow Premier Sports to show the Aberdeen clash. However, the club prioritised its supporters, particularly season-ticket holders and fans travelling from afar. Moving more 3 pm Saturday kick-offs to later times would have inconvenienced many, and Celtic ultimately turned down the offer. [MailSport]
This decision means that the match will not be shown live on TV, but the club has earned praise from fans for putting supporters first. As a result, this will be only Celtic’s second 3 pm Saturday kick-off since August.
The match is set to be a great one, even if it won’t be televised live. Both teams have a 100% record in the league so far, but after next weekend, that won’t be the case.
Again, it’s great to see Celtic put their fans, and Aberdeen’s travelling support, ahead of TV.
