The Premier League announced on Thursday it was pulling the plug on a lucrative television rights contract with Chinese broadcaster PPTV after a dispute over a missed payment.
PPTV agreed a reported $700 million (£523 million) deal for the right to broadcast all 380 Premier League matches per season from 2019 to 2022.
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However, the first season of that deal was hit by the coronavirus pandemic with a three-month shutdown between March and June before the season was completed behind closed doors.
PPTV reportedly failed to make a £160 million payment due in March for coverage of the 2019/20 season.
“The Premier League confirms that it has today terminated its agreements for Premier League coverage in China with its licensee in that territory,” the Premier League said in a statement.
The 2019/20 Premier League season was also marked by political tensions with China.
In December, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV pulled a game between Arsenal and Manchester City from its programme after Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil expressed support for mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang. (AFP)