Scottish football on TV: 13 games to watch in August including league openers and first Old Firm
SPFL action returns to TV screens as new season begins
The start of the new Scottish football league season is upon us with plenty live television action to feast upon across the opening month of the campaign.
All four SPFL divisions kick off this weekend with the action taking place across four days from Friday night through to Monday evening - with live matches screened each day.
The TV action kicks off in the William Hill Championship on Friday evening with newly-promoted Arbroath hosting Scott Brown’s Ayr United at Gayfield in a 7.45pm kick-off. The match will be shown live on the BBC Scotland channel and online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
The first live televised match of the new William Hill Premiership season takes place at Fir Park on Saturday evening where Motherwell host Rangers. Both sides go into the campaign under new managers with Rangers head coach Russell Martin coming against his former Norwich team-mate - Jens Berthel Askou - in the home dugout. The match, which kicks off at 5.30 pm, is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
It is the first of four live Premiership matches Sky Sports will be showing across the weekend with Falkirk unfurling the Championship title flag in front of the TV cameras ahead of the 2pm kick-off at home to Dundee United on Sunday.
Premiership champions Celtic start their title defence live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football with their own raising of the flag ceremony taking place ahead of their 4.30pm kick-off against Kilmarnock at Parkhead.
The opening weekend of the season concludes on Monday evening when Derek McInnes begins his maiden league campaign as Hearts manager against his former club Aberdeen at Tynecastle live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, kick-off 8pm.
The TV action continues throughout August with two more Championship matches on BBC Scotland featuring both of last season’s relegated sides - Ross County and St Johnstone - going head-to-head in Dingwall on Friday, August 8, before Raith Rovers host Dunfermline in the first Fife derby of the campaign at Stark’s Park on Friday, August 22.
The BBC coverage also extends to League One with Hamilton Accies hosting Cove Rangers live on BBC Alba on Saturday, August 30, kick-off 5.30pm.
The first live Premier Sports match of the season takes place at Ibrox on Saturday, August 9 when Rangers host Dundee in a 5.45pm kick-off. The subscription channel will also broadcast Falkirk v Hibs on Saturday, August 23 at the same time.
Sky Sports will show Aberdeen v Celtic on Sunday, August 10 in a 12.30pm kick-off with the broadcaster, as it stands, then taking a 21-day break from Scottish football before returning with a bang for the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, August 31 as Rangers host Celtic in the noon kick-off.
The opening month of live TV coverage concludes with the Dundee derby, also taking place on Sunday, August 31, with Dundee hosting Dundee United in a 2pm kick-off live on Premier Sports. The first international break then follows in early September.
There will also be live Premier Sports Cup second round matches to factor in over the weekend of August 16 and 17, although the TV picks have not yet been announced.
SPFL matches on live TV in August:
Friday, August 1 - Arbroath v Ayr, 745pm, Championship -BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer
Saturday, August 2 - Motherwell v Rangers, 530pm, Premiership - Sky Sports Main Event and Football
Sunday, August 3 - Falkirk v Dundee United, 2pm, Premiership - Sky Sports Football
Sunday, August 3 - Celtic v Kilmarnock, 430pm, Premiership - Sky Sports Main Event and Football
Monday, August 4 - Hearts v Aberdeen, 8pm Premiership - Sky Sports Main Event and Football
Friday, August 8 - Ross County v St Johnstone, 745pm, Championship - BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer
Saturday, August 9 - Rangers v Dundee, 545pm, Premiership - Premier Sports
Sunday, August 10 - Aberdeen v Celtic, 1230pm, Premiership - Sky Sports Football
Friday, August 22 - Raith Rovers v Dunfermline, 745pm, Championship - BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer
Saturday, August 23 - Falkirk v Hibs, 545pm, Premiership - Premier Sports
Saturday, August 30 - Hamilton Accies v Cove Rangers, 530pm, Championship - BBC Alba and BBC iPlayer
Sunday, August 31 - Rangers v Celtic, 12pm, Premiership - Sky Sports Football
Sunday, August 31 - Dundee v Dundee United, 2pm, Premiership - Premier Sports
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