The Chinese online video platform, Bilibili has secured the broadcasting rights of the English football competition, FA Cup, in mainland China. Following this deal, Bilibili will have the media rights of the FA Cup until the 2023/24 season. While the coverage has already begun with the online video platform broadcasting the second-round games of the FA Cup.
The games will be streamed without any charges on an official FA Cup channel and there would be various activities and rewards for the viewers along with it.
Bilibili has replaced the earlier media rights holder PP Sport, as their contract was terminated earlier this year after withholding payments of the FA Cup. The Football Association had signed a 1-billion-dollar deal with the partnership going on for six years (2018-2024). But the association was cut short after the issues occurred between FA Cup and PP Sport.
Apart from penning down the broadcasting rights of the FA Cup, the video platform has also managed to secure the rights of the UFC, who became the first international sports organization to join hands with Bilibili in May last year. While NBA’s outfit, Houston Rockets have also teamed up with the site to expand their esports presence at the global level.
The Chinese government has put up many restrictions in terms of international business, following which there is no presence of Facebook, Twitter, and Google in the country. As a result, sites like Bilibili have emerged to take up the business in that sector.
While it has done quite well in its business that mainly focuses on the content related to gaming, animation, and lifestyle. They have also made some major moves in the growing world of esports, signing exclusive deals with League of Legends and Overwatch League. However, they now plan to expand their content with the new deals with FA Cup and UFC.