According to Deloitte, the total reported spending in the summer by Premiership clubs was £300m. That took total spending for the year in 2006 to more than £330m, with Chelsea the biggest spenders at £70m.
Spending was driven by expected higher TV cash income from next season and the World Cup.
The total amount spent this year was more than in each of the previous three years, with £285m spent in 2005, £260m in 2004, and £250m in 2003.
Pay-broadcasters BSkyB and Setanta will pay a combined £1.7bn for TV rights for the three-year period from 2007-08, with BSkyB paying £1.3bn for its four packages and Setanta £392m for its two.
