The top-of-the-table clash between Celtic and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership will not be televised, leaving fans without tickets frustrated.
The match, scheduled for a 3pm kick-off this Saturday, falls victim to broadcasting restrictions that limit the number of live matches aired from Premiership stadiums each season.
Sky Sports, which holds the rights to broadcast Scottish Premiership matches, doesn’t want to reach its limit so early on in a season, so it chooses not to show the match.
Additionally, Celtic has declined to participate in extra broadcast packages, prioritising the regular match schedule for fans who attend games.
Former Celtic striker and Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton expressed his frustration over the lack of live coverage.
Sutton acknowledged the complexities broadcasters face due to contractual constraints but also pointed to the clubs’ efforts to protect matchday experiences for their supporters.
He brought up a recent example where a rescheduled Rangers game saw a drop in attendance, illustrating the delicate balance clubs must strike between live broadcasts and keeping the stands full.
While some fans and pundits would prefer games like Celtic vs Aberdeen to be available on television, Sutton noted the financial and logistical reasons behind clubs’ reluctance to disrupt traditional kick-off times.
He wrote in the Daily Record: “Do I think Celtic vs Aberdeen should be screened live? Absolutely. It’s a top-of-the-table clash and the game of the season so far. But the broadcasters have their hands tied.
“I understand Celtic wanting to defend their season ticket sales and not wanting to risk punters not turning up. We saw what happened with the Rangers game against St Johnstone on the Sunday night recently, where there were empty seats all over Ibrox.
“I’m sure Celtic fans would turn up regardless of the kick-off time whether it was on television or not, given the nature of this game but I can see the argument. The broadcasters get a bit of a criticism for this stuff but their hands are tied. The restriction on the amount of home games is a real conundrum.
“What happens if Sky do show this one – but then have bust their allowance for Celtic Park when the title race gets into the home straight? There would be an outcry from fans. You can’t win really. If the game was shifted to another time, there would be moaning about the scheduling,
“As far as I am concerned, I would love to see the biggest games in Scotland on the box, whether it’s Celtic against the Dons, Rangers facing Hearts, the Edinburgh or Dundee derbies, you name it.
“But the clubs are the ones who prevent this happening. They only allow a certain number of games and the financial incentives to take on a couple more is obviously not lucrative enough for Celtic to accept.”
