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Manchester United could earn an additional £15m by dismantling its Premiership broadcasting contract and striking its own media deals, according to accountants Ernst and Young. United's total broadcasting revenue for the twelve months to July 2004 was £62.5m according to figures from Deloitte. Of this, £33.8m came from Premiership rights. However, European rivals who negotiate their own contracts do far better. During the same period Juventus earned €93m (£64m) from the sale of its Serie A rights and AC Milan €74m. A change in the arrangements would, however, further strengthen the competitive imbalance in the Premier League. At present the top team in England generates roughly 2.5 times the money from central funds than the one that finishes bottom. In Italy and Spain the ratio is more like six to one. United chief executive David Gill commented, 'In the short term we make more money if the collective deal ended but we would question whether that would help the long-term health of the Premier League.' Such concerns would be unlikely to bother Malcolm Glazer who is attracted by the financial possibilities of an individual television deal.
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