Chinese digital sports company LeSports' exclusive online broadcast rights to the Chinese Super League "may come to an end soon as PPTV, the video streaming unit of electronics retailer Suning Holdings Group, is in talks to acquire the rights to also broadcast" the football matches in the upcoming season, according to Phoenix Kwong of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. LeSports, the sports unit of Chinese internet company LeEco, and PPTV are mounting separate bids to pay about 500M yuan ($72.8M) each for "the new media broadcast rights to all matches and broadcasting through internet-based over-the-top services this season," which kicks off March 4, sports news website Sports Money reported. Both Suning and LeEco declined to comment. LeSports "prefers non-exclusive rights over exclusive rights" in the second season because the CSL matches were "unable to attract as many new paid subscribers as LeEco expected," a LeSports source said. LeEco has been making "huge investments in expanding the sports content of its online video site." Suning, which became the largest shareholder of PPTV in '13, is also "ambitious in expanding its presence in the mainland sports sector" (SCMP, 2/16).
