Chinese video platform iQiyi and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) have recently signed a 10-year content non-exclusive agreement granting the former with the rights to live-stream over 2,000 professional women's tennis matches.
The deal is set to begin in 2017. Under the partnership, the pioneering video hub is allowed to stream singles and doubles matches, game highlights and interviews of the players.
The agreement also gives iQiyi the right to upload content from the WTA Magazine Show and some of the program's behind-the-scenes, which were produced in-house by the association.
iQiyi viewers and subscribers can access the tennis-related contents from the firm's online, mobile and over the top (OTT) video services.
According to WTA president Micky Lawler, the group's deal with iQiyi is "a first-of-its-kind partnership for the WTA in China."
"iQiyi's platform reinvents our digital offer in China in line with the new ways fans consume sports and entertainment content today, and in the future," the WTA executive added.
Since local star Li Na won the French Open in 2011, the popularity of women's tennis has boomed in China. Li became the first Asian female Grand Slam singles champion.
Nonetheless, the competition and cost for rights to air sports events have also surged. Various firms have joined the market, including the China Media Capital who agreed to pay $1.3 billion for the broadcast rights of the Chinese Super League soccer.
LeTV has poured in $400 million for the English Premier League rights in Hong Kong alone.
Dalian Wanda Group also purchased the Ironman Triathlon Races for $650 million in August.
