Le Sports, which is operated by Chinese internet company LeEco, has launched a subscription service for its media platform in mainland China, following a similar initiative in Hong Kong.
The VIP membership scheme will commence on April 14, offering an all-in-one subscription package priced at CNY590 (€81/$91) per year, or CNY159 per quarter and CNY59 for monthly access.
“From viewers to users, from free to paid, from passive to interactive, and from single events to the full ecological sporting experience, we're bearing down on the last mile of the development of the sporting sector by addressing a key weakness in the industry,” Lei Zhenjian, founder and chief executive of Le Sports, said, according to the China Daily newspaper.
“Only by providing users with compelling value and a satisfying experience can a business truly thrive and prosper. This is the responsibility and mission of Le Sports and of all people in the sports industry.”
Le Sports said that since its establishment, it has obtained rights for more than 310 blue-chip sporting events and 10,000 individual matches, of which 72 per cent comprise exclusive rights. The company’s chief content officer Liu Jianhong said that Le Sports will spend CNY6bn acquiring rights to major sporting events for its VIP members.
Content under the new VIP service will include one match per round from the Chinese Super League, the top division of domestic football.
In addition, the final round of the Asian Football Confederation qualification matches for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, as well as Asian Champions League club matches, will be available to Le Sports VIP members. All matches, excluding those involving the Chinese national team, will be exclusively available.
“Watch-to-pay is the future for China's sports online streaming industry, and no one will skip the development process if it wants to make a progress for the country's sports business industry,” Yu Hang, vice-president of Le Sports, added. “Sooner or later, the paid subscription membership system will become mature in the market, while the key is how long will it take to reach the target and what kind of content will be charged.”