THE SFA will bank up to £20 million from a deal with BBC Scotland and satellite broadcaster Premier Sports to broadcast William Hill Scottish Cup games for the next six seasons.

The announcement has not gone down well with some supporters - as they will now have to pay for BT Sport, Sky Sports and Premier Sports to watch all domestic matches

But the SFA believe armchair fans will be able to watch more Scottish Cup matches on free-to-air television than ever before as a result of the new agreement.

From next season, BBC Scotland will showcase one live match in the first, second and third rounds for the first time.

Meanwhile, supporters will be able to watch four live games in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds on the BBC and Premier Sports.

Premier will broadcast one semi-final exclusively while the other semi-final and the final will be shown across both channels.

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: “This deal will ensure that more action than ever before will be broadcast live to the nation.

“It will also drive significant revenue back to all the clubs who participate in the competition, ensuring ongoing investment into the game.”

The agreement with BBC Scotland and Premier Sports was struck by IMG , who the SFA have signed a new six year deal with to market broadcast rights for the Scottish Cup globally.