LeSports, PPTV bidding for online rights to Chinese Super League

LeSports’ exclusive online broadcast rights to the Chinese Super League may come to an end soon as PPTV, the video streaming unit of electronics retailer Suning Holdings Group, is in talks to acquire the rights to also broadcast the soccer matches in the upcoming season, mainland media said.

LeSports, the sports unit of Chinese internet giant LeEco, and PPTV aremounting separate bids to pay about 500 million yuan each for the new media broadcast rights to all matches and broadcasting through internet-based over-the-top services this season, which kicks off March 4, mainland sports news website Sports Money said on Thursday.

Both Suning and LeEco declined to comment.

LeSports announced in February last year that it had acquired the exclusive new media broadcast rights to the CSL matches for two seasons since 2016 in a deal that worth 2.7 billion yuan.

The deal has brought the CSL matches to soccer fans on the mainland, Hong Kong, United States and Asian countries as they can watch the competitions online through LeTV’s set-top box and other smart devices.

The deal was signed with Tiao Power, a subsidiary of a state-backed investment company, which licensed the CSL broadcast rights for five years starting from 2016 for 8 billion yuan.

According to CSL’s rules, at least two new media platforms are required as broadcasters.