6 th World Media Economics Conference Centre d’études sur les médias and Journal of Media Economics HEC Montréal, Montréal, Canada May 12-15, 2004 Media Deregulation and Broadcasting Rights: A Case Study of Scottish Football Ian Elliott, Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom D r Lisa Fingland, Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom Local, national and international forces now shape both the media and sports industries. The Communications Act 2003 introduces a significant element of deregulation to the UK media industry at a time when sports clubs are increasingly reliant on broadcasting revenues for their financial survival. Nonetheless, there has been a failure on the part of the SPL to recognise the importance of this Act. This pap er argues that Scottish football cannot ignore changes in the media industry. However, there is a danger that, in focusing on broadcasting deals with media companies, Scottish football may distance itself from the local fans. Keywords : Broadcasting, football, globalisation, exclusion. Acknowledgements Preliminary research on this topic was published as a working paper entitled "The Communications Act 2003: Implications for the Scottish Premier League". The authors are grateful for comments received from Professor Stephen Bailey, Glasgow Caledonian University and Mr Raymond Boyle, Stirling University. Participants in seminars hosted by the Division of Media, Culture and Leisure Management, and the Centre for Public Policy and Management (both Glasgow Caledonian University) also offered valuable comments. The authors are extremely grateful to the Centre for Public Policy and Management, Glasgow Caledonian University, and the Division of Business Economics & Enterprise, Glasgow Caledonian University, for funding their participation in the 6 th World Media Economics Conference. Introduction It may be, as Giulianotti is quick to point out, “increasingly passé…” to note that “…association football is undeniably the world’s premier sport” (1999: xi). It may also be trite to single out developments in media broadcasting as not only a significant driver of globalisation (however it is defined) but also a major contributor to the premier status of