Animal Planet TV boss Susanna Dinnage is going to replace outgoing Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.
Dinnage has previously been global president of Animal Planet and Discovery Networks UK and Ireland.
The news comes as England’s top-flight clubs have been asked to stump up £250,000 by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck from Chelsea for a £5million golden handshake for Scudamore, 59.
Susanna Dinnage of Discovery is to be the new Premier League chief executive
Scudamore announced in June that he is stepping down as executive chairman
Dinnage has previously been global president of Animal Planet and Discovery Networks UK and Ireland.
Bruce Buck is trying to raise a £5m golden handshake for the outgoing Richard Scudamore
But the request for cash by Buck, who has become firm friends with Scudamore since become chairman 15 years ago, has surprised some clubs – considering the salary and bonuses he has commanded in that time.
Dinnage was announced as Scudamore’s replacement on Tuesday, at a meeting for Premier League clubs in the division’s headquarters.
Dinnage’s official title will be ‘chief executive’ with the responsibility of Scudamore’s role split with a non-executive chair who is still to be appointed.
Bruce Buck, chairman of Chelsea and the Premier League’s Nominations Committee, said: ‘We are very pleased to appoint such a capable leader to this important role.
‘We had a very strong field, but Susanna was the outstanding choice given her track record in managing complex businesses through transformation and digital disruption.
‘She is a leading figure in the broadcasting industry, a proven business executive and a great developer of people. She is ideally suited to the role and we are confident she will be able to take the Premier League on to new heights.
‘Richard Scudamore, having provided exceptional stewardship for almost 20 years, will leave us at the end of the year in great shape and with an excellent executive team and board able to fully support Susanna.’
Dinnage, whose exact start date is still to be negotiated with Discovery, said: ‘I am excited at the prospect of taking on this fantastic role.
‘The Premier League means so much to so many people. It represents the pinnacle of professional sport and the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and inspirational organisation is a great privilege.
‘With the support of clubs and the team, I look forward to extending the success of the league for many years to come.’
Scudamore first joined the Premier League in 1999 and has been responsible for its meteoric growth in stature across the globe, becoming one of the most significant figures in English football in the process.
Sportsmail understands that Buck has called round the 20 clubs asking for them to each make a £250,000 donation.
Although Scudamore earns a basic wage of £900,000 he receives closer to £2.5million a year with the bonuses he gets for negotiating the top flight’s multi-billion pound broadcasting deals.
Scudamore first joined the Premier League in 1999 and has been responsible for its meteoric growth in stature across the globe, becoming one of the most significant figures in English football in the process.
He has negotiated television deals worth billions, which in turn has allowed England’s major clubs to spend huge sums on buying players, as well as paying them lavish wages.
Scudamore gave an emotional speech when he announced in June that he would step down from his role as executive chairman.
‘It’s an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,’ he said. ‘It is too much fun to be called a job.
‘I am sure (the PL’s broadcast partners) will forgive me for singling out Sky for special recognition.
In a feature she wrote in 2014 for campignlive, Dinnage revealed she is a Fulham fan.
Buck called round the 20 clubs asking for them to each make a £250,000 donation ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
Buck, who led the search for Scudamore’s replacement alongside Leicester chief executive Susan Whelan and Burnley chairman Mike Garlick, is known to have forged a close personal friendship with Scudamore since becoming Chelsea chairman 15 years ago.
Club officials were asked to attend the meeting at the Premier League headquarters in London on Tuesday afternoon and asked to dial in on a conference call if they were unable to make it at short notice.
Buck has called the 20 Premier League clubs asking for them to make a £250,000 donation
Scudamore has seen television rights for the Premier League reach over £5billion
Scudamore has negotiated television deals worth billions, which in turn has allowed England’s major clubs to spend huge sums on buying players, as well as paying them lavish wages.
Scudamore gave an emotional speech when he announced in June that he would step down from his role as executive chairman.
‘It’s an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,’ he said. ‘It is too much fun to be called a job.
‘I am sure (the PL’s broadcast partners) will forgive me for singling out Sky for special recognition.
Scudamore announced in June that he is stepping down as executive chairman
‘Back in 1992 they were the catalyst for the start of the Premier League journey and have backed us all the way since.’
Last year, the Premier League ‘big six’ of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham began pushing for a heftier share of the television revenue pot.
Top clubs would like to dictate Premier League business rather than let Scudamore, or his successor, call the shots in the way it has been the case for almost two decades.
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Before joining the Premier League in 1999, Scudamore was chief executive of the Football League. Prior to that, he had worked at Thomson and Yellow Pages.
But after spotting an advert for the Football League job while working in the U.S., it was his wife who encouraged him to apply, suggesting it would match his interests in football as a keen Bristol City fan and qualified referee.
Scudamore then spent two years from 1997 in the job, before he was poached by the Premier League at a time when it earned a fraction of what it does today.
In his 19 years working for England’s elite division, he has propelled the amount of money raised from television rights from £670m to £5.1bn.
He announced he was standing down in June on the same day new Premier League broadcasting deals were announced, including a three-year agreement with Amazon to show 20 matches a season from 2019.
That package had been designed to appeal to internet companies such as Amazon, Netflix and Facebook, signalling the Premier League’s desire for fans to be able to stream games in the future.
Scudamore’s time has not been without its challenging moments, however.
He controversially mooted the idea of a ’39th game’, with teams playing a competitive match abroad.
The proposal was widely criticised by fans, managers and even the then FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Scudamore pictured during his time as chief executive of the Football League
But overall, Scudamore is a widely respected figure across football and received a standing ovation when he announced his intentions to step aside in June at the Premier League’s end-of-season meeting.
And while his overall salary of £2.5m may have raised eyebrows in some circles, former NBA commissioner David Stern – Scudamore’s counterpart for basketball in America – said in 2014 that Scudamore is underpaid.
‘Richard is vastly under-remunerated for the job he has done for the Premier League,’ Stern, who earned around £15m a year, said at a Sports Industry breakfast.
‘The market appreciation of the PL under his watch has been extraordinary and his salary should reflect that. It’s his business if he charitably accepts a deal far less than he’s worth.’