Hearts and Hibs gain from record breaking cash pot as Neil Doncaster sends verdict after SPFL distribute £42m
The SPFL have posted their accounts that come with a benefit for Hearts and Hibs.
Hearts, Hibs and the rest of the SPFL have benefitted after league chiefs heralded record breaking total cash distribution to clubs.
An all-time high of £42m has been confirmed as having been split across clubs with accounts showing the number is up 11% (£4.1 million) from 2024’s £37.9 million figure. Income surpassed the £50m park for the first time and fees paid to clubs by the SPFL also jumped by seven figures to £35.1 million.
A rise in revenue is in part thanks to broadcasting deals with Sky Sports and Premier Sports in recent times, alongside sponsorship of the league by bookmaker William Hill. Chief executive Neil Doncaster has been left made up by the figures released by the SPFL on Wednesday.
Neil Doncaster on SPFL accounts
He said: "We’re extremely pleased to be able to announce the strongest turnover and total group distributions in the history of Scottish league football. These figures are by some distance the best financial figures in the 12 years of the SPFL. Against a backdrop of worldwide economic uncertainty, the strong cooperation amongst our clubs and a shared focus to continue to grow our game commercially has been vital to achieving these results.
"We’ve recently reported considerably higher attendances per capita than any other European league in a UEFA report for the third year running, and these figures also reflect the high level of interest in our game from broadcasters and partners. Whilst we will never be complacent, we are proud that the league continues to make significant progress, and these financial results represent an important milestone in the history of the SPFL.”
Murdoch MacLennan, SPFL chairman, added: "Our latest results once again underline the strength and ambition of our game here in Scotland. Our small but dedicated team at the SPFL is focused on driving forward the league for our 42 member clubs and we will now look to build on this momentum in the months and years ahead."
What SPFL said about new accounts
A statement read: “The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) group has distributed £42 million to clubs, the highest figure in the league’s history, its newly-published annual accounts confirm. The accounts reveal total group distributions are up £4.1 million (11%) to £42 million from last year’s £37.9 million.
“SPFL group income totalled £50.4 million, breaking the £50 million threshold for the very first time, whilst fees paid to clubs by the SPFL also increased by £1.4 million to £35.1 million. The increase in group distributions has primarily been driven by an increase in broadcast income. This includes a rise in revenue from the SPFL’s contract with Sky Sports, as well as the five-season deal agreed with Premier Sports last year to show 20 live William Hill Premiership matches per season in the UK and Ireland, which has since risen to 22 games.
“The increase in broadcast revenue was further supplemented by strong growth in licensing, match data and sponsorship arrangements, with last season the first of a five-year, record-breaking sponsorship deal with one of the UK’s leading bookmakers, William Hill. Group distributions include fees paid to clubs (through the ‘ladder’, which gives a fixed percentage of fees based on where each club finishes in the league), parachute payments, monies paid to ScottishPower Women’s Premier League clubs, prize money in the Premier Sports Cup and KDM Evolution Trophy, and facility fees paid in respect of William Hill Premiership matches shown on Premier Sports.”