While the £18 million ($28.3m/EUR28.8m) two-year deal with the BBC has been concluded, the ongoing row between the Old Firm and the other ten clubs in the SPL regarding revenue sharing of commercial deals is set to continue apace.
In a statement issued last night, Rangers chairman John McClelland said: "I'm delighted that after many months of discussion we have completed TV contracts with the BBC which can only be good for the member clubs of the SPL and Scottish football.
"However, Rangers is disappointed to note that the ten SPL clubs have not yet accepted any of the proposals put forward by the Old Firm to establish a basis for future co-operation and development."
The deal with the BBC will see the terrestrial broadcaster screen 38 live matches for the coming season which will kick-off at 2pm on Sundays. A highlights package is also included in the agreement although a conclusion over the radio rights has yet to be reached with the Old Firm seeking clarification over their matches being available on broadband over the internet.
Furthermore, Irish-based firm Setanta Sport will add a pay-per-view element to the broadcasting contract, screening ten games involving Rangers and Celtic on its channel which is carried by pay-TV digital platform BSkyB.
The BBC beat off a rival bid for the contract from terrestrial broadcaster Channel 5 which confirmed yesterday that it had made a rights offer to the SPL for exclusive coverage of the league.
The signing of the BBC contract ends a lengthy period of uncertainty surrounding the future television home of the SPL after initial plans for the league to set up its own TV channel fell through with Rangers and Celtic unconvinced by the proposals.
Though a relatively short-term solution has been found, it is clear that Rangers and Celtic will continue to stand united against what they perceive as a devaluing of their potential commercial income.
The threat put in place by the other ten clubs that they will leave the SPL if the Old Firm continue to refuse to back down could yet come to pass, with a two-year notice needing to be served to the league for such action to go through.
Rangers and Celtic have finally put pen to paper on the BBC's bid for the television rights to the Scottish Premier League (SPL) but many of the troublesome issues remain unresolved.
