Chinese Sports Fans Move Away From TV Toward Internet For Live, On-Demand Coverage

Peer-to-peer video sharing website PPTV has become China's "leading online sports center, though it offers much more than sports," according to WANT CHINA TIMES. As more sports fans in China turn to the Internet for live and on-demand broadcasts, the "sun might be about to set on China's national sports channel CCTV-5." Global Entrepreneur magazine reports that "the site functions as an online home base for sports enthusiasts in the country." PPTV "saw a staggering 30 million viewers tune in for the final of the UEFA Champions League this year." During the European football tournament, PPTV broadcast to Chinese fans equivalent to 40% of CCTV-5's viewership. The live coverage "has also produced a 300% return on investment for the site." PPTV is China's second biggest online video platform by number of users. It is accessed by more than 34 million viewers daily, trailing only Youku (WANT CHINA TIMES, 12/20).