It’s being reported that the Premier League have agreed – at least in principle – to a new £560m Chinese TV deal.
It seems the new television agreement with the countries broadcaster, PPTV, at this stage may be provisional but yet to be signed, as PPTV have made the announcement to the media, but the Premier League – as I type – are yet to confirm it.
PPTV have told the BBC that a three year deal has been put in place and with suggests that it will be worth £560million, that means it will be ten times the value of the current deal the Premier League have in China.
There’s no reason to doubt this news, as everybody knows China’s desire for football, and the recent Chinese investment into English clubs – with the Midlands especially featuring – following takeovers of Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers off the top of my head – but once the deal is signed it will become the biggest ever overseas broadcast deal signed.
PPTV are owed by retailer Suning, and they have already made their investment in football, as they brought a controlling stake in Italian Serie A side Inter Milan back over the summer, and those following football and China will know their interest is Government backed as President Xi Jinping has already set the target of China becoming the biggest sports economy by 2025, and this will just be another step in that direction.
Many will remember back in December 2015, Manchester City’s parent company received Chinese investment as well, letting them dip their toes into sister clubs based in New York, Melbourne and Yokohama.
So should this deal come off, fans can only expect further Chinese investment into the game to be honest.
With the BBC listing their own figures for the deal, that works out at $700million in total for those who like dollars, and they reference the Press Association talking of similar figures – saying it would work out at around $233million a year beginning from the 2019/2020 campaign.
It must be said the BBC also reference other reports saying it’s a slightly lower deal at only $600million.
But what’s a $100million dollars between friends eh!
The existing biggest deal in place is with the United States and NBC as they paid $1billion for rights for six years previously, which works out at $167million a campaign – so even if the Chinese deal is only $600million, and not $700million, it’s still a significant increase.
The Premier League’s deal with Sky remains the most lucrative though with a three year deal from this year, topping out at a record breaking £5.14billion.
The money just keeps on flooding in, and with the BBC Price of Football survey (as already covered) whilst there’s a twist to slightly better value in some cases for fans, the Premier League can certainly afford to do more – despite the steps they have taken.
