LFP adds to Ligue 1’s Chinese rights partners

The PP Sports division of Chinese new media company PPTV has acquired exclusive new media rights in China to Ligue 1, the top division of French club football.

The agreement with the French Football League (LFP) runs for three seasons, from 2018-19 to 2020-21, and also includes rights to the Coupe de la Ligue and Trophée des Champions, the annual contest between the Ligue 1 champion and the Coupe de France winner.

This year’s Trophée des Champions is due to be contested in the Chinese city of Shenzhen between Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco on August 4. PP Sports will receive branding rights on perimeter boards during the match, while the LFP and PP Sports are set to collaborate on merchandising and youth football initiatives during the course of the contract.

In April, the LFP sealed a broadcast rights deal with state broadcaster CCTV. The deal with CCTV, which will run through to the end of 2020-21, was agreed by the LFP and its international rights-holder beIN Media Group.

Earlier this month, PP Sports acquired television and online rights to the Bundesliga, the top division of German club football. The five-season deal between the Bundesliga International arm of the German Football League (DFL) and PP Sports will run from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

PP Sports will hold the Bundesliga’s broadcasting and distribution rights for television in China with CCTV, and exclusively for internet, new media, OTT services and other media platforms.