Chinese TV appears to be sidelining the world's biggest soccer league amid a fight with the UK over Huawei
- Chinese TV appears to be sidelining English Premier League soccer matches amid China's political feud with the UK over Huawei and Hong Kong.
- CCTV-5, China's Premier League broadcaster, shifted its coverage of Liverpool's game against Chelsea on Wednesday night to its secondary channel, according to Bloomberg.
- It is unclear whether CCTV-5 will air the remainder of the season, a source told Bloomberg.
- The shift follows the UK government's decision to ban the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei as well as its opposition to Hong Kong's newly imposed security law.
- CCTV's action is "symbolic of what else could come following decisions around Hong Kong and Huawei," a source told Bloomberg.
Chinese TV appears to be sidelining English Premier League soccer matches amid China's political feud with the UK.
China Central Television, China's public-service broadcaster, which broadcasts the Premier League across the country on CCTV-5, shifted Wednesday night's clash between Liverpool and Chelsea to its secondary sports channel, CCTV-5 Plus, according to Bloomberg.
It is unclear whether CCTV-5 will air the remainder of the season, a source told Bloomberg.
The move is not thought to extend to streaming platforms such as video app PPTV, one of China's top ways of watching TV online.
The shift comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson barred the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from selling new 5G equipment to Britain starting at the end of this year for national security reasons.
Johnson has also spoken of his opposition to Hong Kong's newly imposed security law, which punishes dissent against China.
The UK has also banned arms sales to Hong Kong and invited up to 3 million Hong Kong citizens to apply for citizenship in the UK.
Mark Tanner, the founder of the Shanghai-based research and marketing firm China Skinny, told Bloomberg that CCTV's action was "symbolic of what else could come following decisions around Hong Kong and Huawei."
This wouldn't be CCTV's first time cutting foreign sports from its channels for political reasons. Last year, the broadcaster dropped coverage of the NBA after the Houston Rockets' general manager, Daryl Morey, made comments on social media showcasing his support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
"Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong," Morey said in a since-deleted tweet in October.
Despite the NBA describing Morey's tweet as "regrettable," CCTV has yet to resume airing NBA games in China.
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