Premier League ends Chinese TV deal with immediate effect

The Premier League has terminated its £650m-a-season contract with Chinese broadcasters PPTV, ending their right to show live coverage of English top flight games this season with immediate effect.

A Premier League statement on Thursday read: “The Premier League confirms that it has today terminated its agreements for Premier League coverage in China with its licensee in that territory. The Premier League will not be commenting further on the matter at this stage.”

PPTV agreed a record £650m deal with the Premier League last year, but withheld a payment of £160m in March that has led to the contract termination.

The streaming service is owned by Suning, the Chinese conglomerate that also has control of Italian club Inter Milan.

The decision comes after Chinese state broadcasters CCTV chose not to air coverage of Premier League games in July following growing tensions between China and Boris Johnson’s UK government, which came as a result of the ban on telecom company Huawei from the new development of 5G in Britain, as well as the prime minister’s opposition to the new security laws imposed in Hong Kong.

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