Rangers’ bid to end their three-year exile from Scotland’s top flight will be witnessed live on TV after the Scottish Professional Football League struck a six-match deal with BT Sport to screen this season’s play-offs.
The broadcaster has agreed to show both legs of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, while BBC Scotland will provide live radio commentary and TV highlights.
The SPFL has also confirmed the play-off schedule, with the decisive shoot-out set for Sunday, May 31.
Stuart McCall’s Ibrox side let second spot in the Championship slip from their grasp on Saturday after drawing 2-2 with Falkirk.
That means that unless they can beat Hearts and Hibernian lose to Falkirk in their final regular-season fixtures next Saturday, Gers will have to defeat Queen of the South over two legs to keep their promotion dream alive.
Hibs are next up for the victor, with the prize of a place in the winner-takes-all clash against the team finishing second bottom of the Premiership up for grabs.
As things stand, Queens will host Rangers at Palmerston at 5.30pm on Saturday, May 9, with the Ibrox return scheduled for 3.30pm on Sunday, May 17.
The winner of that tie then hosts Hibs at 7.45pm on Wednesday, May 20, while Easter Road will stage the semi-final second leg at 12pm on Saturday, May 23.
The first leg of the final will see the Championship contender host the 11th-placed Premiership side – likely to be Motherwell – at 7.45pm on Thursday, May 28 before the top-flight team then welcomes their lower-league opponents back to their ground for the crucial 3pm kick-off on May 31.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “We’re delighted this exclusive deal with BT Sport allows us to move our live TV coverage on to another level. Last season the final was broadcast live but for this season we will see all six Scottish Premiership Play-Off matches live on BT Sport.
“The Scottish Premiership Play-Offs have breathed new life into Scottish football and we await another six massive games this May with both BT Sport and BBC Scotland.”
Simon Green, sports channels director at BT Sport, added: “BT Sport is proud to enhance its partnership with Scottish football. Audiences for our SPFL televised coverage are growing and our exclusive televised coverage of the Play-Offs builds on our offering to Scottish football fans.”
As well as BBC Scotland’s live radio commentary and TV highlights of the Scottish Premiership play-offs, BBC ALBA will be screening both legs of the Scottish Championship play-off final.