A CHINESE conglomerate has won the rights to broadcast the English Premier League (EPL) in the Asian country for three years, it said Friday, with reports putting the deal’s value at US$650 million.

    The contract would represent a huge uplift on the previous contract as Chinese money pours into the game and businesses rush to boost the nation’s footballing ambitions.

    “The feedback that the board of the English Premier League gave us is that we have won the bid to broadcast the EPL from 2019 to 2022,” a spokesman for Suning Holdings’s PPTV unit said.

    The exclusive media rights cover the Chinese mainland and its special administrative region of Macao, a Suning spokeswoman said, adding they still have paperwork to sign before making an official announcement.

    PPTV is an online streaming platform under the sports arm of the Suning Holdings company, which paid 270 million euros (then US$306 million) in June for a majority stake in Inter Milan. It also owns Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning. (SD-Agencies)