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Scottish football is set to go on sale this morning after SPFL bosses ripped up the TV rights deal which had threatened a worldwide blackout of the new season.

The Daily Record revealed last week how overseas broadcasters feared they might have to pull the plug on the top flight because the firm supplying live coverage were on the brink of collapse.

A potential audience of tens of millions across the Middle East, Australia and North Africa were denied coverage of Steven Gerrard’s first Premiership game in charge of Rangers at Pittodrie, as well as Celtic’s defeat at Tynecastle on Saturday.

But the SPFL’s cash-stricken media partners MP & Silva have failed to stump up payments to continue selling the Scottish game abroad – allowing SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster to terminate the cut-price deal five years ahead of schedule.

(Image: SNS Group)

As of this morning, the SPFL are free to negotiate individual deals with broadcasters from around the world, including Qatar-based giants beIN Sports.

A Hampden source confirmed last night: “The SPFL are in the process of terminating their agreement with MP & Silva.

"One possibility is that we sell the TV rights to another agency on a like-for-like basis and then they are free to subcontract it around the world.

“If we get the right money that’s the easiest thing to do.

“But there is such strong interest from broadcasters all over the world that we could deal directly with them and sell the Scottish game to them individually.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to get better value for the game.”

A league statement read: "The SPFL will be taking steps to sell its overseas broadcast rights from this season onwards.

"This comes as a 10-season deal with MP & Silva is being terminated after the rights holder defaulted on a number of payments due to the SPFL, and to other leagues around the world.

"Plans are being put in place for international broadcasters who have agreed to show live fixtures over the coming weeks to receive signal as usual.

"The termination of the present agency contact, which was signed in 2013, will have no material impact on the record-breaking club fees paid and expected to be paid for season 2017-18."