The EPL could suspend or terminate rights contracts in the region, as China takes weekend fixtures off the air
The Premier League is evaluating whether or not to terminate its TV rights contracts with Russian broadcasters, in light of Vladimir Putin's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. As companies from across all industries and nations seek to distance themselves from the Russian government, the EPL is under pressure to follow suit.
A company called Rambler currently holds TV rights to show the English Premier League in Russia for this season, broadcasting matches in the region via a live streaming platform called Okko. That contract, said to be worth $8.2m according to reports in Russia, is currently under review.
At the end of this season, a company owned by Gazprom called Match TV was set to take over and hold the rights for the following six years starting with the 2023/23 campaign but that agreement now appears in doubt. The deal which is supposedly worth a total of around $55m is also under review by the Premier League.
Apart from the possibility of suspending or even terminating these TV contracts, there could also be complications in making outstanding payments with several Russia banks already closed off from the global payment system known as SWIFT and others likely to follow in the coming days.
China removed Premier League fixtures from TV last weekend due to shows of support
In other news concerning Premier League TV rights, Chinese broadcasters made good on their threat to the Premier League that they would not be showing English top flight fixtures last weekend due to the league's planned shows of support for Ukraine.
China is a close political ally of Russia and seemed unwilling to show its people images from the weekend's games which contained a lot of pro-Ukrainian messages in various forms. These included special captains armbands in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and screens around stadiums sporting the nation's colours and messages of solidarity.
All Premier League matches were also preceded by a "moment of reflection and solidarity" in which fans up and down the country applauded the Ukrainian effort. Chelsea fans were controversially heard singing the name of their soon-to-be former owner Roman Abramovich during the moment of reflecting, a move which angered many in the sport including their own manager Thomas Tuchel.
Abramovich is one of many Russian oligarchs with ties to Putin who are threatened with sanctions from the UK government. In light of this, the billionaire announced last week that he would be selling Chelsea Football Club. Fans were keen to show their appreciation for all he has done at Stamford Bridge but the timing of their chanting wasn't pleasing to many.
Richard Masters explained the shows of support and his desire for all viewers to see them, including those in Russia itself: “I’d like the Russian people to see the strength of feeling in the Premier League and in English football this weekend,”
The Premier League has said it "wholeheartedly rejects Russia's actions" and is set to show solidarity with Ukraine. When announcing the planned shows of support in a statement on their website, the EPL said "We call for peace and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted,"
Chinese state broadcasters ensured that at the very least their citizens didn't see those shows of support thanks to their censorship of last weekend's matches.
Not the first time China has refused to show Premier League matches for political reasons
Back in 2019, the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air a match between Arsenal and Manchester City after former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil made a social media post criticising the Chinese government for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the country.
The Premier League declined to comment when asked about the Chinese broadcaster's latest omission.
Stay up-to-date with all things football at Sporticos
We provide data, stats and analysis of games from across the world; a comprehensive TV guide which tells you exactly when and where you can watch your favourite teams in action; trusted, legal sources of live streaming, breaking news and so much more.
Check out our Live Football on TV page.
Here's our Football Live Streaming page.
Get your Betting Tips from our Match Predictions page.
