LeTV picks up Tour de France rights in China

LeTV Sports, a new sports-rights venture operated by Chinese IPTV operator LeTV, has acquired digital rights for the Tour de France cycling event.

The deal will run for three years, from 2015 to 2017, beginning with this year’s event that starts next week.

The agreement was struck with the Amaury Sport Organisation, which operates the tour. It also includes a number of other events staged by ASO, although these were not disclosed.

LeTV has acquired rights for 21 cycling events – 20 on an exclusive basis in China – since launching.

State broadcaster CCTV holds live linear broadcast rights to the Tour in China in a five-year deal from 2013 to 2017.