Richard Masters

Masters attended the independent Solihull School. He later studied for a BSc Economics and Geography degree at University College London.

He was the marketing manager for England and Wales Cricket Board from 1994 to 2000, before serving as commercial director for the English Football League from 2001 to 2006. He moved to the Premier League in 2006 where he became the director of sales and marketing, holding the position from January 2006 until November 2018. In 2019, English Football Association announced Masters as the CEO of the Premier League, the top tier of English football.

Masters has two sons, and is a supporter of Aston Villa F.C..

Masters was appointed as the chief executive of the Premier League in November 2019. This followed a year-long interim period in the position, after Richard Scudamore resigned in December 2018. Masters' role was created after Scudamore's executive chairman role was split into the two roles of chief executive and chair, following Scudamore's resignation. While Alison Brittain was appointed as the latest chair on 26 July 2022, Masters retains authority as holding the highest position at the Premier League, with his other responsibilities including leading negotiations on new media rights contracts, resolving club disputes and ownership issues, and overseeing operations.

Masters was the Premier League's fourth choice for the role, following a protracted recruitment process that involved Susanna Dinnage, Tim Davie and David Pemsel all being offered - but later declining - the position ahead of him. There were also accusations that the biggest teams in the Premier League held too much influence over the process, with Liverpool and Manchester United alleged to have held private talks with candidates chosen by the Premier League's official nominating committee, before deciding whether to enact their unofficial veto over the decision.

On 16 January 2024, Masters described Nottingham Forest and Everton Football Clubs as "small clubs" during a session of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, prompting a furious reaction from fans and media alike. The chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, wrote to Masters asking him to clarify his comments, stating:

“Richard Masters’ implication that nine-times league title winners Everton and double European Cup winners Nottingham Forest are ‘small clubs’ will have raised eyebrows with fans. To suggest clubs are categorised according to size raises wider questions about whether every member of the league truly does receive treatment that is fair and consistent."

On 22 July 2021, Tracey Crouch MP, chair of the fan-led review into the UK's football governance, announced that the Premier League under Masters had "lost the trust and confidence" of fans within the review's interim findings. …