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Jonathan White

Chinese-owned Inter Milan returned to the top of the Serie A table on Friday night with a 2-0 win over Fiorentina but fans in China missed out as the game was not broadcast.
PP Sports which had the broadcast rights for China reportedly lost them after failing to make a payment to IMG, Italian football website Calciomercato.com reported.
IMG paid €340 million per season for the global media rights for the 2018-19 to 2020-21 seasons in a deal agreed in 2017.
The reports follow on from PP Sports losing the rights to the English Premier League last season, with the two parties now suing one another. Last month they asked for US$116 million from EPL at London’s High Court.

PPsports' Serie A streaming in China is suspended(1/4): the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan last night is NOT streamed in China. The reason, from sources in Italy, is that PPsports, the rights holder in China owned by Suning, missed broadcasting fee payments. pic.twitter.com/Tby44q6uX8
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) February 6, 2021

Tencent bought the rights for the current season for a fraction of the deal agreed with the former broadcaster.
PP Sports is owned by Suning, the Chinese retail giant who took control of Inter Milan in 2016.
China broadcaster sues English Premier League for US$116m
Suning have been reported as looking for investors into the Milan giants, with the Financial Times reporting on Friday that they are looking for US$200 million in emergency finance. Last month the club denied reports it would be sold.
Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore reported online on Wednesday that British venture capitalists BC Partners made a final offer to Suning for the club.
“All our matches are important, this is a delicate moment due to problems which have little to do with the football,” Inter CEO Guiseppe Marotta told Sky Sports Italia ahead of the game against Fiorentina. “We as the club management are managing it in the best way.”

In the 2018/19 season financial result published by Inter Milan, it is stated 'The club now has 120 million fans in China – an increase of 30% on the previous season.' China has a population of 1.4 billion people. It means about 1 of every 11 Chinese people are Inter Milan fans. pic.twitter.com/tXYkv945hl
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) October 29, 2019

“The positive results make the environment more compact, even the big problems become small,” Marotta said. “Things are going well, we hope that things are resolved quickly in order to give peace of mind.
“It is a problem that involves our shareholders, who are responsible people and will go on to make wise choices for the project. It is a situation that does not concern Inter, but our shareholders.
“We will go forward with strength, determination and a sense of belonging. It is a moment of world financial contraction and what is happening at Inter is also happening at other clubs.”
Struggling Suning to sell Inter Milan, Chinese side unpaid: reports
While Inter Milan have struggled financially because of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Suning’s Chinese Super League side Jiangsu FC have also reportedly failed to pay players.
Inter Milan reported that it had 120 millions fans in China in 2019 and the club announced plans to rebrand the team to attract more overseas fans.


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Italian Serie A

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Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku in action in the win over Fiorentina. Photo: Reuters

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Callum Wilson, of Newcastle United, kisses the television camera after scoring in his side’s 3-1 win over Burnley in the English Premier League in October 2020. Photo: EPA

(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 24, 2020 a television broadcast camera operator works ahead of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England. - The Premier League announced on September 17, 2020, that it had agreed a new broadcast deal in China for the rest of the season with Tencent Sports. The previous agreement with PPTV was terminated after a dispute over a missed payment. Viewers in China will have access to all the remaining 372 matches of England's top-flight football league from this weekend, the league said. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in bet

Chinese-owned Inter Milan to rebrand to ‘appeal to foreign fans’

Inter Milan’s Brazilian striker Ronaldo celebrates winning the Uefa Cup in 1998. The Italian side are reported to be changing their name and club crest, with shirt sponsor Pirelli to be replaced by a Chinese company. Photo: Reuters

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku greets supporters at the end of the an Italian Cup soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Suning to sell Inter Milan, Chinese Super League side unpaid: reports

Supporters of Inter Milan react during the International Champions Cup football match between AC Milan and Inter Milan in Shenzhen in 2015. Photo: AFP

(160606) -- NANJING, June 6, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Suning Sports Group Vice President Gong Lei(R) and Inter Milan Vice President Javier Zanetti hold the jerseys at a news conference in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, June 6, 2016. China's retail giant Suning Group has owned a 70 percent stake in Italian football club Inter Milan, a deal worth 270 million euros, Suning Group announced here on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)(wll)

(201114) -- BEIJING, Nov. 14, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Players of Jiangsu Suning celebrate on the trophy ceremony after the 20th round match between Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Jiangsu Suning at 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Nov. 12, 2020. Jiangsu Suning won its first CSL title after a 2-1 victory over defending champion Guangzhou Evergrande. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Suning's Chairman Zhang Jindong attends a news conference with Chinese retailer Suning and Italy's Inter Milan in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song

epa07902265 Inter's head coach Antonio Conte (R) reacts during the Italian serie A soccer match between FC Inter and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Italy, 6 October 2019. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI

England’s Premier League sues Chinese broadcast partner for US$215m 

TV rights have led to the Premier League suing a Chinese broadcaster. Photo: EPA

NBA and English Premier League’s China TV woes offer a vision of the future

Liverpool's Jordan Henderson lifts the English Premier League trophy after playing Chelsea. The game was not shown on Chinese terrestrial television as scheduled. Photo: DPA

Sport

Football

China


Italian club are at ‘delicate moment’ financially, CEO says before win over Fiorentina not shown in China
PP Sports lost English Premier League rights over delayed payment with the two parties now suing one another



Italian club are at ‘delicate moment’ financially, CEO says before win over Fiorentina over Fiorentina not shown in China.


English Premier League

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