Manchester United top table for Premier League TV earnings

Reuters: Soccer champions Manchester United topped the table for English Premier League television income in 2012-13, raking in almost 61 million pounds in the final year of the current three-year contract, the League said on Tuesday.

Relegated Queens Park Rangers, owned by Malaysian Airline boss Tony Fernandes, received almost 40 million pounds, the lowest figure among the 20 clubs.

Television income will climb further next season after telecoms company BT entered the British market, taking a share of live rights alongside pay TV operator BSkyB. BT has replaced US company ESPN as the second broadcaster in Britain.

The Premier League has also secured enhanced overseas rights deals and revenue from television is expected to rise to around 5.5 billion pounds over the next three years, from around 3 billion pounds.

The differences in payments between clubs reflect where they finished in the league and also how many times their matches were screened live in Britain.