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Premier League chief Richard Scudamore repsonds to criticism over £5.1bn tv rights deal
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Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has hit back at critics of the new £5.1bn tv broadcasting rights deal for England's top flight.
The new deal was agreed with current broadcasters BT and Sky Sports, who have both significantly increased their bids from the last deal.
Since the figure was announced, the debate over how that money should be used by clubs and the league itself has seen the likes of pundits and politicians suggest that the Premier League should look at using the money to lower costs for fans and investing in grass roots football.
But Premier League chief Scudamore insisted the league's priority is to get the best deal for their clubs,: "We're not set up for charitable purposes." he said, "We are set up to be the best football competition."
Scudamore added: "I believe the Premier League is a great UK export and it attracts a whole lot of positive feelings about the UK."
"If you go and do any international survey, things like the Premier League, the BBC, the Queen: they are things that people feel are good about the UK."
With the deal worth more than £2bn more than the current deal, there are fears that the disparity between Premier League clubs and the rest of the football pyramid is only going to grow, with clubs as high up as Football League struggling to stay afloat.
The cost to the fans is also a concern, with many believing the extra cash should be used to lower ticket prices to enable ordinary fans to be able to watch their teams regularly.
Despite this, Premier League attendances are actually higher than ever, with a 95% attendance rate across all 20 clubs.