nabeurs dan toch +4%
Sina Obtains Broadcasting Rights for European Soccer
Thursday August 9, 5:00 pm ET
English Premier League and Italian Series A Matches
SHANGHAI, China, Aug. 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- SINA Corporation (Nasdaq: SINA - News), a leading online media company and value-added information service provider for China and for the global Chinese communities, today announced that it has obtained online broadcasting rights in China for the much coveted soccer matches of the English Premier League and Italian Series A.
As one of the most popular European soccer leagues, the English Premier League has an audience in China in the tens of millions. Starting from August 11, 2007, Chinese soccer fans will be able to watch English Premier League matches live either via paid TV or the Internet. As the availability of paid TV is limited in China, SINA brings Chinese soccer fans more options by offering live, online broadcast of the games.
SINA's Broadband will carry live, online coverage of all 1,140 English Premier League matches for the next three seasons lasting until 2010. Web users will be able to subscribe on an annual, monthly, and per-game basis at Rmb380, Rmb38 and Rmb3.8, respectively. In addition, SINA Sport Channel's in- depth coverage will also feature replays of the most exciting action plays on a free-of-charge basis.
Separately, SINA also obtained the rights to provide live, online broadcast of the world-renowned, professional soccer league Italian Series A in China.
"We are delighted to be chosen the only online portal in China to offer live broadcasting of both the English Premier League and the Italian Series A," said Tong Chen, Executive Vice President and Chief Editor of SINA Corporation. "These two deals are not only a perfect complement to our already strong offering of domestic and international sports events, but also reaffirm SINA's position as a pre-eminent online sports broadcaster in China. Leveraging our unique advantages as a leading online portal and our first- class video streaming technology, SINA is able to provide Chinese soccer fans with enhanced multimedia experiences, integrating comprehensive sports news coverage, timely commentaries and interactive sports communities. '