Premier League appoints David Pemsel as new chief executive after nine-month search
The decision comes after Susanna Dinnage said she would not be taking the job, having being chosen to replace Richard Scudamore.
Wednesday 2 October 2019 16:47, UK
The Premier League has appointed Guardian Media boss David Pemsel as its new chief executive following a nine-month search.
The decision comes after TV executive Susanna Dinnage announced she would not be taking the job last December, having being chosen to replace Richard Scudamore.
Mr Scudmore retired in November after nearly 20 years in the role, before controversially receiving a £5m "golden goodbye" bonus paid for by the 20 top flight clubs.
Mr Pemsel, currently chief executive of the Guardian Media Group, will start his job "no later than April 2020", the Premier League said.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, who led the recruitment committee, said Mr Pemsel's "straightforward style and personal integrity make him an ideal person to lead the business".
Mr Pemsel said he was "thrilled" to be appointed chief executive of "the most-watched football league in the world".
He added: "As a football fan, I understand just how important the game is to supporters and our national identity and I am honoured to take the helm of such an influential and prestigious organisation.
The Premier League's managing director Richard Masters will continue as interim chief executive until Mr Pemsel takes over the role permanently.
Ms - a TV executive who started at MTV and also worked with Channel 5 - was named as Mr Scudamore's replacement last November and was due to take the role in early 2019.
She was set to become the first female chief executive in the history of the Premier League but then announced she was withdrawing without revealing the reason for her decision.
Mr - who announced he was stepping down in June 2018 - is credited with transforming the Premier League into the most lucrative football league in the world thanks to some record-breaking TV deals.
Sky and BT Sports agreed to pay £4.464bn to show 160 games between 2019-20 and 2021-22, while the overseas rights earned the league a further £4.2bn.
He first joined the Premier League as chief executive in November 1999 and also served as executive chairman from June 2014 until his retirement in November 2018.
But the decision to pay him a £5m bonus as a farewell gift raised eyebrows, with Damian Collins, chairman of the digital, culture, media and sport select committee, telling the Daily Telegraph: "This smacks of wrong priorities. Why not donate it to a grass-roots fund?"