Setanta Sports, the Irish broadcasting firm, has signed a £2.75 million sterling (€4.37 million) agreement to resurrect a pay-per-view television deal with the Scottish Premier League that will enable it to screen 18 matches throughout the UK and the Republic.

Some of the games will also be shown live on RTÉ terrestrial television following a separate deal signed between the State broadcaster and Setanta for access to Celtic matches.

BBC Northern Ireland will also broadcast some Celtic matches and all of the games will be available pay-per-view on the Sky digital platform, a Setanta Sports spokesman said yesterday.

The deal was signed after the Scottish Premier League pulled out of a previous deal with Setanta following some technical problems screening Celtic's Champions League qualifier in Basle.

The two-year deal is worth £1 million more to the league than the previous contract.

It will mean the screening of 18 exclusive pay-per-view matches throughout the UK and Ireland, eight more than under the previous contract.

The majority of games will be Saturday fixtures featuring either Celtic or Rangers, with kick-offs switched to 12.30pm. - (PA)