China: agency Desports acquires TV rights for the 2018-2021 European cups (€372.4m, press)

Desports, a Chinese agency specialising in sports rights, has acquires, valid in China, the media and commercial rights of the Champions League, the Europa League, and European Super Cup for the 2018-2021 cycle, on 24/01/2017. The amount of the agreement, approved after three rounds of bidding, could be $400m (€372.4m), according to Chinese media.

The tender for the 2018-2021 cycle was launched on 12/12/2016. "The media rights for both competitions (Champions League and Europa League, will be sold on a market-by-market basis through a staggered sales process, commencing in China on 13/12/2016," UEFA had previously announced. The date for submission of bids was 12/01/2017 for China.

According to documentation of UEFA as of 25/01/2017, four streaming platforms (PPTV, a subsidiary of Suning; Tencent; Sina; and LeTV, a branch LeEco, which is a subsidiary of Shi Leshi Internet Information & Technology) and the Chinese public group CCTV had acquired the 2015-2018 broadcast rights to the European cups and the European Super Cup in September 2015. The agreement for 2015-2018 would be "an…