The old first division of the football league captured much more money than the second, third, and fourth divisions. Although all four were part of the professional football league, money was unevenly distributed with the wealthiest and more successful clubs in the first division getting more of the revenues than the lower league clubs. Higher gate receipts and media exposure were a direct result of higher public interest in watching the upper echelon of soccer. The heavyweights of the first division hoped that by disengaging from the lower leagues, the new Premier League could be a much bigger international product than the football league as a whole. The Premiership would have more freedom to market itself without having to concern itself as much with the rest of the football league. Although the riches are more unevenly distributed than ever previously, the Premiership has arguably become the largest soccer export in the world. In a sense, their vision was right. The English Premier League has attracted many of the best foreign players in the world. Public interest and outside financial investment is bigger than ever before. The benefits are plain to see, but opponents argue that the gap in quality between the Premiership and the lower divisions of the football league is forever widening.