Chinese Super League: Le Sports acquires the TV rights in China and other countries until 2020

Le Sports, the sports branch of LeEco, the Chinese technology and digital content company, has acquired the broadcasting rights of the CSL for the 2016 to 2020 period in China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States and Canada, as well as in most of the countries in Southeast Asia, on 23/02/2016.

The rights were acquired from the Chinese media rights agency Ti'ao Dongli Sports Media Ltd. (property of the investment fund China Media Capital, led by businessman Li Ruigang), which won the tender for the domestic TV rights of the CSL for the 2016 to 2020 period, on 25/09/2015. Ti'ao Dongli will pay a minimum of 8 billion yuan (€1.1bn as of 15/03/2016) for the rights over the period.

LeEco will pay Ti'ao Dongli 2.7 billion yuan (€372.7m as of 15/03/2016) to broadcast the CSL from the 2016 season until 2020 (nearly €75m per season), according to the British newspaper The Financial Times and the Hong Kong media operator South China Morning Post, on 23/02/2016. Le Sports also announced a cross-shareholding plan with Ti'ao Dongli.

The 2016 CSL season began on 04/03/2016.

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