The SPFL has detailed the £200million boost Scottish football brings to the economy, amid fears 5,700 jobs are at risk.
The sport has been completely shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no clear picture of when it will be safe to resume.
When games can be played again it's likely they'll be behind closed doors, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned even that may not be possible due to the risk of people gathering to watch the matches.
But new research from the University of Strathclyde's Fraser of Allander Institute shows the massive contribution professional football makes to the Scottish economy.
Based on the 2017/18 season, the study shows after adjusting for spending not additional to the economy that the net contribution of the SPFL was £214million, with around 5,700 full-time equivalent jobs.
In the same campaign, total attendances across league and cup fixtures topped 4.8million, with most of that figure coming from the Scottish Premiership.
The SPFL is seeking talks with the government to discuss a timescale for games being played and on Wednesday the governing body laid out just how much football is worth to the economy.
And chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "As well as playing an extremely important role in the social and cultural life of Scotland, this new research underlines the very significant economic contribution which SPFL clubs and their hundreds of thousands of fans make to the Scottish economy.
"At a time when vital decisions will be made by Government about when we can resume matches, we're sure these findings will make an important contribution to the decision-making process.
"Aside from the crucial importance of the game to the mental wellbeing and sense of community in Scotland, the Fraser of Allander study demonstrates the vital economic importance to the country of matches resuming as soon as it is safe to do so."
