When the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) renewed their TV deal with Sky Sports last time around, they came under a lot of flak. Quite rightly, too.

The league chose not to open it out to competitive tender. There was no formal bidding process. Instead, just a cosy continuation of the status quo.

It was only natural to wonder whether it was really a good deal at all. Some insiders at the time reckoned the SPFL could have left £20million on the table by failing to invite bids.

Stewart Robertson, the former Rangers managing director who used to serve on the SPFL board, didn't mince his words when he spoke about this a few years ago.

Speaking even before that last deal had been announced, Robertson took aim at SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and claimed that Scottish football was being under-sold.

The SPFL have done the right thing this time. They have opened it up and invited broadcasters to bid for the rights to show Scottish Premiership matches from 2029-30 onwards.

All of this is welcome. But it also relies on Doncaster's skills as a negotiator to maximise value not only for the clubs and the league as a whole, but also to ensure fans don't end up being fleeced.

Because that's the danger. If more broadcasters start piling in and want a piece of the pie, it will almost inevitably lead to fans having to fork out for more subscriptions.

It is a difficult balancing act. Doncaster has never come across as a strong and robust negotiator at any point whilst in charge of the SPFL.

Fans are already having to pay for multiple subscriptions with Sky Sports and Premier Sports, along with the cost of season tickets. All of this at a time when there is a cost-of-living crisis.

Opening the process to tender was overdue and correct. Maximising the money is essential if the league is to grow and clubs are to prosper.

But if the only model on offer is one that continually loads extra cost on to fans, then the SPFL will have solved one problem by creating a bigger one.