Opinion | Is the English Premier League facing being blown off course by its own NBA-style China row?

The NBA’s ongoing row with the Chinese government has cost the organisation up to US$400 million

The English Premier League will be hoping to avoid a similar fate that could cost it much needed revenue

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Richard Masters, CEO of the English Premier League, speaks during a reception to celebrate the Premier League Asia Trophy in Shanghai. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for Premier League

Published: 6:05pm, 23 Jul 2020Updated: 12:04am, 24 Jul 2020

New English Premier League chief executive Richard Masters awkwardly fist-bumped and hand-slapped a number of Liverpool’s back room and playing staff – he just blanked others – as he handed over League winners’ medals at a lavish trophy presentation at Anfield on Wednesday night. He didn’t appear to be enjoying his first coronation, but he would have been forgiven for having more pressing matters on his mind.

Masters was handed the wheel to the good ship EPL in December last year and immediately sought to navigate a lucrative course into the riches of China.

In one of his earliest manoeuvres as chief, Masters oversaw the Premier League launching its three-year, US$700 million deal with Chinese broadcaster PP Sports, a subsidiary of retail giant Suning, at last year’s (increasingly erstwhile) Premier League Asia Trophy in Shanghai.

That day, optimism abounded as Masters spoke of a bright future for the Premier League in China.

“We look forward to working closely with PP Sports for the next three years to bring Premier League football to our growing fan base in China,” he said.