Tencent to broadcast Premier League games

Social media and gaming giant Tencent (0700) will show English Premier League soccer in China after the previous local partner stopped paying broadcast fees.

The deal will bring some reassurance to clubs whose finances were thrown into turmoil when coronavirus lockdowns forced the suspension of the world's wealthiest soccer league. China has been its most lucrative emerging market.

The league terminated its contract with local rights holder PPTV when it stopped payments, even after matches resumed.

PPTV, owned by Suning, had a three-year contract worth over 500 million (HK$5 billion), or about 25 million pounds per team over the length of the contract.

The dispute with PPTV was just the latest case of acrimony between the United Kingdom and China after ties between the countries deteriorated in recent months.

Under the deal agreed with Tencent, the company will show the rest of the season's games from this weekend on its digital platforms including WeChat, QQ.com and Tencent Video.

Clubs will be able to share short clips directly during matches to engage with their supporters in China. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

It represents a new experiment for the Premier League, which has always favored traditional pay-television broadcasters when handing out broadcast rights in its most important markets.

Tencent will show half of the matches for free to its users.

"We are excited to have agreed this partnership with Tencent ensuring our supporters in China can enjoy following Premier League action throughout this season," said Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.

Tencent Sports general manager Ewell Zhao said: "Tencent Sports hopes to leverage its platforms and technology to bring the drama of Premier League matches to fans and share with them the passion and excitement of football."