Discovery’s Dinnage u-turns on EPL transfer

Susanna Dinnage

The global president of Discovery’s Animal Planet cabsat network is not leaving the factual broadcaster to join the English Premier League after all.

Susanna Dinnage was announced as the surprise choice to replace Richard Scudamore as CEO of the top division of English football in November.

The move would have automatically made her one of the most powerful executives in world sport, with the Premier League’s domestic TV rights deal currently worth £4.4bn (US$5.6bn) for 2019-2022 along with a further £3.2bn from international broadcasters.

However, a short statement on the league’s website on Sunday confirmed: “Despite her commitment to the Premier League in early November, Susanna Dinnage has now advised the Nominations Committee that she will not be taking up the position of chief executive. The Committee has reconvened its search and is talking to candidates.”

Dinnage has reportedly decided she wishes to stay in broadcasting and will now remain in her current role with Discovery, the company she joined in 2009. She became the first global president of a Discovery network when she took up the Animal Planet role in November 2017.

Prior to joining Discovery, Dinnage held senior roles at UK terrestrial Channel 5, working on the launch of the channel and its digital extensions. She started her career at MTV Networks, where she worked on the launch of a number of MTV and VH1 channels.

As well as being on the board of All3Media, the group of 26 production and distribution companies jointly owned by Discovery and Liberty Global, Dinnage is chair of the Commercial Broadcasters Association and an executive member of the Discovery Women’s Network.