ESS has concluded distribution deals with over 20 regional TV stations as well as national channels CCTV5 and Hunan Satellite, taking its content to over 100 million sports fans in China.
Central to the distribution deals is ESS' coverage of the English Premier League from which Chinese soccer fans will now be able to watch up to 165 live matches from the upcoming season - the first time the EPL will be broadcast live nationwide in China.
ESS Managing Director Rik Dovey said: "This record distribution of the English League in China confirms the League as the number one right across the world. Viewers demand to see the game, at ESPN STAR Sports with our existing and new distribution partners across China we can deliver it.
"China’s growing strength within the sport is well illustrated by the players from China who have joined the EPL like Sun Jihai for Manchester City, Li Tie & Li Weifeng for Everton and Qu Bo for Tottenham Hotspur. And in the wake of the World Cup, viewer interest has also grown for the other main leagues, which we also show, namely the Spanish Primera Liga, and the UEFA Champions League which will also have wider distribution across China this season."
Pan-Asian network ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has signed a host of new carriage agreements in China, doubling the distribution reach of its sports content.
