Glasgow pubs hit with football ban as SPFL cracks down on illegal streaming

In order to show Scottish Premiership matches, bars are required to take out a commercial subscription with Sky Sports, who have exclusive rights to the matches.

However, many premises opt to use other devices to illegally broadcast games such as the derby between Rangers and Celtic.

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the game's governing body has been working in partnership with Sky to crack down on the practice and a total of 17 interdicts have been granted at the Edinburgh court of session.

That includes three permanent bans, two of which were handed out to pubs in Glasgow.

The judgement means the Lord Nelson Bar on Nelson Street and the Strathspey Bar on Tollcross Road are banned from showing live matches without agreement from Sky Sports.

The licensees, who also include the Masons Arms in Airdrie, must also pay SPFL’s legal costs and fund the publication of notices advertising the orders in local press.

The league's chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "These interdicts clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of our nationwide detection and enforcement campaign. The SPFL is one of the most exciting leagues in the world and is hugely popular in pubs, bars and hotels all over the country. 

“However, showing matches without paying the necessary licence fee is freeloading, pure and simple and we will continue to be vigilant so we can protect the interests of our clubs and all the licensees who do the right thing and subscribe with Sky Sports to show cinch SPFL games in the season ahead.”

The news comes after an Easterhouse man was arrested in June for allegedly streaming games illegally from his house.

A 49 year-old man was arrested and charged with offences under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, with police seizing a number of items related to the alleged offence.

The SPFL signed a five-year £125m deal with Sky Sports in 2018, the highest in league history.