Manchester United will launch its first 24-hour TV channel in China next week. The club will become the first football club to do this with much support from China.
Chinese interest in the sport has escalated with Chinese president Xi Jinping’s enthusiastic support for the team. The popularity of soccer in China has attracted 108 million supporters, nearly twice the population of the entire United Kingdom.
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Sina Sports will begin the broadcasting of the club’s MUTV on its website, mobile site, and app. Chinese fans will be able to access their favorite British soccer club 24 hours a day. The channel will feature Man U-dedicated news, match highlights, and more.
CMC, a Chinese consortium, bought a 13 per cent stake in United’s local rivals Manchester City in December, shortly after President Xi Jinping visited the club during his state visit to Britain.
Arthur Wei, senior vice-president of Sina, which also owns the influential Chinese social media service Weibo, told the Financial Times that the new 24-hour MUTV deal “will make great strides to change the way China watches and understands the game of football.”
Financial terms for MUTV were not released. This new network aims to help expand Man U’s brand among potential sponsors, new fans, and enhance old fans’ experience watching the games. MUTV will be aired for free.
John Thompson, a United fan who has lived in Beijing for eight years, believes this service will only remain popular if it stays free as Chinese fans can already watch Premier League matches for free through the government-owned network BTV.