China’s online video content service platform, iQIYI, is continuing to give users more access to global sports broadcasts. iQIYI recntly signed a five-year agreement with the PGA TOUR that allows users to stream more than 40 PGA TOUR tournaments a year. And now, iQIYI is collaborating with the Women’s Tennis Association for a 10-year deal that will give fans never-before access to women’s tennis.
The contract between WTA and iQIYI is set to begin in 2017. The agreement gives iQIYI streaming rights to over 2,000 professional women’s tennis matches. That includes single and double matches, highlights and player interviews. Broadcasts will be available both in English and Chinese and viewers can access the videos from iQIYI’s online, mobile and OTT services. IQIYI allows users to select their preferred match from a range of courts and it provides multi-court transmission during major tournaments.
This deal with the WTA is coming at a perfect time with the growing popularity of women’s tennis in China due to Li Na winning the French Open in 2011 when she was the first Asian female Grand Slam singles champion.
Geng Xiaohua, iQIYI Senior Vice President, explains, “Since we were established in 2012, iQIYI Sports has featured tennis as part of its core programming and has broadcasted WTA tournaments, including the China Open, Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, Dongfeng Moto Wuhan Open, Tianjin Open and Guangzhou International Women’s Open. As the most influential women’s sporting event in the world, WTA attracts a high-end audience, which is a perfect match for iQIYI’s young, upwardly-mobile user base.”
The IQIYI’s deals with the PGA TOUR and the WTA are not only benefiting the company, but also the sports leagues. Each partnership allows iQIYI users to stream tournaments online and on mobile devices. Leagues like the PGA TOUR and the WTA are now able to expand to a worldwide level and increase their fan base. This could change the way consumers watch sporting events.
“This is a first-of-its-kind partnership for the WTA in China,” said the WTA President, Micky Lawler. “IQIYI’s platform reinvents our digital offer in China in line with the new ways fans consume sports and entertainment content today, and in the future. We’re thrilled to be working with a partner who fully embraces everything that is unique and premium about our sport.”