Chinese sports enthusiasts will see more sports leagues and matches over the Internet. (Photo : Reuters)
Chinese media and Internet firms have inked deals with various sports teams to offer a wide-ranging selection of sports events to the lucrative market.
The deals, worth way higher than the agreements' past amount, were driven by the growing Internet audience as well as by the intensified initiative of the government to promote professional sports.
Ignacio Martinez Trujillo, the general director of Spain's La Liga soccer league, said that "China is a huge market for [them]," adding that they are trying to increase their fan base in the country.
The league has struck a $275 million deal to air matches over China via Internet.
Asked about teaming up with an online firm rather than with a traditional television network, Trujillo remarked that the former "pay more than others."
In August, the Sunning Commerce-backed Shanghai PPTV Media Tech Co. acquired an exclusive five-year all-media rights for the La Liga in mainland China as well as in Macau and Taiwan.
Earlier, Tencent Holdings Ltd. sealed a deal for the exclusive online five-year rights for the National Basketball Association in mainland China.
The state-backed China Sports Media also pledged in September for the broadcasting rights of the Chinese Super League on television and on the Internet for the next five years.
Though the bidding may mirror an increasing revenue stream for global teams and sports leagues, some experts noted that the Chinese firms have yet to prove that the consumers are willing to pay for the biggest names and games.
Ren Wen, chairwoman of the media company Wisdom Holdings Group, shared: "All the money is suddenly rushing in and they are disrupting the rules of the game. China's sports industry is still very underdeveloped, and red-hot money will burn it, not ripen it."
