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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Premier League agrees major deal for Chinese TV rights | Premier League agrees major deal for Chinese TV rights |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Premier League has agreed a major new deal for its TV rights in China, which could be worth up to $700m (£560m). | The Premier League has agreed a major new deal for its TV rights in China, which could be worth up to $700m (£560m). |
| The three-year contract with Chinese video streaming service PPTV is set to be the league's biggest-ever overseas broadcast sale. | The three-year contract with Chinese video streaming service PPTV is set to be the league's biggest-ever overseas broadcast sale. |
| A PPTV source told the BBC a deal was in place. | A PPTV source told the BBC a deal was in place. |
| If the reported value is confirmed, it would be worth ten times more than the league's current China TV deal. | If the reported value is confirmed, it would be worth ten times more than the league's current China TV deal. |
| The Premier League is yet to comment. | The Premier League is yet to comment. |
| Superpower ambitions | Superpower ambitions |
| PPTV is owned by Chinese retailer Suning, which is already invested in European football after it bought a controlling stake in Italian club Inter Milan in June. | PPTV is owned by Chinese retailer Suning, which is already invested in European football after it bought a controlling stake in Italian club Inter Milan in June. |
| China's President Xi Jinping has led a drive for businesses to invest more in football in a bid to turn the country into a footballing superpower. | China's President Xi Jinping has led a drive for businesses to invest more in football in a bid to turn the country into a footballing superpower. |
| He has set a target for the nation to be the world's biggest sports economy by 2025. | He has set a target for the nation to be the world's biggest sports economy by 2025. |
| Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa are among the English clubs to have received investment from China over the last year. | Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa are among the English clubs to have received investment from China over the last year. |
| Audiences for Premier League football are also growing strongly in China, with English clubs seeing the world's second largest economy as a major growth market. | Audiences for Premier League football are also growing strongly in China, with English clubs seeing the world's second largest economy as a major growth market. |
| The nation's own Super League is also helping to fuel the boom, as it attracts well-known players and managers from the European leagues. | The nation's own Super League is also helping to fuel the boom, as it attracts well-known players and managers from the European leagues. |
| The Associated Press news agency reported that the TV deal would be worth $700m, working out at $233m-a-year starting in the 2019-2020 season. Other reports have suggested the deal is worth $600m. | The Associated Press news agency reported that the TV deal would be worth $700m, working out at $233m-a-year starting in the 2019-2020 season. Other reports have suggested the deal is worth $600m. |
| The Premier League's largest overseas TV rights deal is currently with US broadcaster NBC, which paid $1bn for six seasons, or $167m per campaign. | The Premier League's largest overseas TV rights deal is currently with US broadcaster NBC, which paid $1bn for six seasons, or $167m per campaign. |
| But the main source of the league's income still comes from the UK. | But the main source of the league's income still comes from the UK. |
| British broadcasters Sky and BT last year agreed to pay a record £5.14bn for three seasons, starting with the current 2016-2017 campaign. | British broadcasters Sky and BT last year agreed to pay a record £5.14bn for three seasons, starting with the current 2016-2017 campaign. |
| Analysis by Robin Brant, BBC News, Shanghai | |
| If Manchester United and other top English Premier League clubs are willing to parade their players in a series of exhibition games across China as soon as the domestic season is finished, then you can see how important this market is. | |
| EPL (as it's known here) is big. The fact that even David Beckham's son is the centrepiece of an advert for a smartphone in China shows you the strength of its appeal. | |
| Basketball is long established in China. The NBA has a huge following. Rugby Union, Cricket and the NFL all have ambitions here. | |
| But China's association with English football is deepening. | |
| Chinese investors have acquired what seems like most of the West Midlands clubs in a show of status and financial might, but also for some a genuine attempt to build new brands that could appeal beyond their domestic base. | |
| This broadcast deal, unsurprisingly, reveals how important web-based distribution is here for certain types of entertainment. | |
| But what you might call 'revenue issues' remain. | |
| There are plenty of illegal ways to watch EPL games in China and I'm pretty sure that the England away kit I saw listed on a very well-known Chinese internet retailer - for the equivalent of £7.50 - wasn't the real deal. |