China refuses to broadcast English Premier League matches in solidarity with Ukraine
English Premier League rights holders in China will not be broadcasting this weekend's matches, with the expectation that they will show their solidarity with Ukraine, which is under Russian invasion.
This weekend, the leaders of the Premier League teams are expected to put up badges in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and participate in a moment of reflection and solidarity before kicking off, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
Solidarity movements are expected to appear in international broadcast footage.
But Chinese rights-holding broadcasting platforms Ikei Sports and Migou, their program missed any plans to broadcast the weekend matches.
Previous announcements indicated their intention to transfer all matches.
Some social media users noted the absence of matches from the tables, expressing a mixture of disappointment and confusion.
The English Premier League terminated a lucrative contract with the Chinese direct broadcast service, BBTV, in 2002, after reports that it had failed to make a payment of 160 million pounds ($212 million) due to the spread of the Corona pandemic.
In 2019, state channel CCTV did not broadcast the Arsenal-Manchester City match, after German midfielder Mesut Ozil expressed his support for the Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news