The Chinese rights holders of the English Premier League will not broadcast the Premier League this weekend, with several shows of support for Ukraine planned by English clubs and their players. Beijing is very measured in its reactions to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, refusing from the start to condemn Moscow’s actions. The two presidents, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, said last month in Beijing that their friendship was “limitless”.
A minute of silence observed in solidarity with Ukraine
This weekend in England, several Premier League club captains have planned to wear armbands in the colors of Ukraine and observe a minute’s silence, in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, before kick-off, according to the British daily Tea Guardian.
These testimonials of support will appear in the international signal sent to foreign TV and two rights holders in China canceled their match broadcasts this weekend, the iQiyi Sports and Migu platforms, sparking some disappointed reactions on social networks.
The Premier League ended a very lucrative broadcasting contract with the PPTV streaming service in China in 2020, following a default of 160 million pounds (193 M EUR) caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, state broadcaster CCTV erased a game between Arsenal and Manchester City from its program following Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil’s support for the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang province.