China

Chinese sports marketing company Desports has acquired rights in its home country to the Uefa Champions League and Europa League club football competitions, according to reports.

The North American NHL ice hockey league has signed a long-term strategic partnership with Chinese internet company Tencent.

Chinese internet company LeEco, whose subsidiaries include media platform LeSports, has alleviated its financial concerns by securing 16.8 billion yuan (€2.31bn/$2.42bn) in strategic investment, chiefly from property developer Sunac China Holdings.

The LeSports division of Chinese internet company LeEco has reached a compromise agreement over its rights fee for the English Premier League that is set to allow it to continue covering the club football competition.

Chinese social network Sina Weibo has struck a deal to stream live coverage of NFL American football games.

Chinese online company Baidu has announced plans to launch an initial public offering for its Iqiyi video-streaming platform.

Uefa, football’s European governing body, is targeting media and marketing revenue of €3.2bn ($3.43bn) from its next cycle of rights to the Champions League as the tender process commences today (Tuesday).

Chinese internet company LeEco has said it will cut 10 per cent of staff from its LeSports division amid ongoing concerns over rising debt.

Manchester United has become the first English Premier League football club to make its in-house television channel available for free in China, according to The Times.

Two recent deals with the National Basketball Association have fulfilled different needs for Eleven Sports Network in Singapore and Taiwan.

Chinese streaming operator LeSports will change its acquisition strategy to focus on premium content, chief executive Lei Zhenjian told TV Sports Markets this week.

The English Premier League’s new media-rights deal in China is one of the most valuable ever signed in the country.

China’s Leshi Holdings, which controls internet company LeEco, has secured $600m (€543.5m) in funding amid concerns over the sustainability of its expansion into multiple new business areas.

Online streaming company PPTV has acquired rights in China for football’s English Premier League.

Australian A-League football club Adelaide United has struck a partnership with CubeGoal, the mobile application created by pre-match information platform Cubee Technology.

Aggressive Chinese OTT operator LeSports has cash-flow problems, resulting in delays to payments for many of its deals.