O21 Television will provide outside broadcast facilities for Setanta Sports' coverage of the Scottish Premier League next season.

The contract covers more than 60 matches during the 38 game season and will run for a minimum of two years.

The first game of the new deal will take place on Saturday August 9 at The Falkirk Stadium and will feature Falkirk FC against last year's runners-up Glasgow Rangers.

In order to fulfil the contract 021 will open an office in Scotland that will include permanent staff and equipment.

Setanta Sports head of production Colin Davidson, discussing the decision, said “O21 Television offer everything we need to deliver first class sports programming. They have offered us high quality, dedicated facilities based locally and we will be well supported by their head office.”

021 will lay “eight or nine” kilometres of cable to all stadiums involved, according to business development director Andrew Jones - unlike English grounds those in Scotland have not been previously cabled.

While Setanta will continue to provide a standard-definition feed, 021 will provide its Unit 3 truck, 12 Sony E30 SDi cameras, one Link Radio Camera system, four six-channel EVS XT production servers and seven HJ76 lenses for the contract.

There is speculation that Setanta may go HD for the 2009/10 season and Jones said 012 was “well equipped” to offer an HD service if it does.

The company is currently signing off requirements for a fourth HD truck, Unit 5, which will be due for delivery in January.

Although the kit for the new vehicle has not yet been finalised Jones said it is likely to contain a Sony MVS 8000 mixer, a number of Sony HDC cameras and a Calrec digital sound desk.

He added: “We'll build the truck with a three-tier production area equipped with a generous VTR room - there'll be 14 or so people in there covering the games and it needs to be comfortable.”

Arena Television currently provides OB facilities for Setanta's coverage of the English Premier League.