Premier League ends mega million contract with Chinese broadcasters PPTV

Just days ahead of the season start, the English Premier League, on Thursday, terminated its reportedly £550m contract with Chinese broadcasters PPTV. The termination ends PPTV's rights to show live coverage of the Premier League games this season with immediate effect. The Premier League 2020-21 season is set to begin on September 12 with a delay due to the COVID-forced break earlier. 

Premier League confirms termination

“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,” the Premier League said in a statement on Thursday.

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The decision comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and the Boris Johnson administration in the UK. However, the primary reason behind the termination of the contract is being attributed to PPTV withholding payment of £160m in March. The company had allegedly expressed concerns over losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The streaming service - PPTV- is owned by Suning, the Chinese conglomerate that also has control of Italian club Inter Milan.

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It is important to note that the PPTV deal was the biggest TV rights signed by the Premier League. The deal was reached last year, with a three-year contract being signed. In June 2020, Sky Sports agreed a £170 million rebate with the Premier League over the loss of earnings, a rebate which is being deferred until the 2021/22 season.

China blocks the Premier League

As a repulsion of the ban on China's Huawei from its 5G network, Chinese state broadcasters CCTV had chosen not to air the Premier League games in July. The Boris Johnson administration had directed operators in the UK to remove Huawei equipment from their 5G networks by 2027 amid the rising anti-China sentiment. The decision came as a huge blow to the Chinese company as it has operated in Britain for nearly 20 years with Europe being a key market for the company. 

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