China: Tencent acquires non-exclusive broadcasting rights to the Chinese Super League (2021-2023)

Tencent, a Chinese internet services group, has acquired the non-exclusive broadcasting rights to the Chinese Super League (CSL) in China for the 2021-2023 period (three seasons), for a sum of CH¥240m (€30m, i.e. €10m per season), according to Chinese media on 14/04/2021.

The Chinese Super League had to manage the transfer of these rights directly after the premature termination of its contract with China Sports Media, which was marketing the domestic and international rights of the league and with PPTV, a Chinese internet and mobile streaming platform which had held the exclusive streaming rights of the CSL since the 2017 season.

China Sports Media had extended (until 2025) and renegotiated its agreement with the Chinese Super League on 25/01/2018. China Sports Media was to pay a guaranteed minimum of CH¥11bn (€1.4bn as of 29/01/2018) over 10 years (2015-2025), i.e. CH¥1.1bn (€140m) per year, which was already a 31% decrease compared to the annual amount negotiated in the previous contract (2016-2020).

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