The Premier League has become the latest victim in the escalating spat between China and the UK.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, which owns the rights to broadcast Premier League matches in China, will not show the final round of fixtures this season following a deterioration in relations with the UK.
Bloomberg report that Liverpool’s 5-3 victory over Chelsea and the ensuing title celebrations was not aired on CCTV as planned on Wednesday night, and now the remaining Premier League games this season have been pulled from the schedule.
It is the latest move in the continued row between China and the UK, which has already seen the British government banning telecommunications giant Huawei and opposing the new security law imposed in Hong Kong.
In response, Chinese social media craze TikTok have halted their talks on a potential HQ in London.
It is not the first time that CCTV have refused to show sport in response to geopolitics.
The state broadcaster last year dropped coverage of the NBA after a team official made comments supporting protests in Hong Kong.
Arsenal’s game against Chelsea in December was also dropped from CCTV due to Mesut Ozil’s condemnation of the silence from Muslims at the treatment of Uighurs in China.
Ozil’s comments angered numerous Chinese fans, with Arsenal issuing a statement distancing themselves from the midfielder’s views.
Whilst China is not considered a hotbed of football, numerous clubs view the country as a potential market to expand in.
For example, both Manchester United faced Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly in Shanghai last year.
It is unclear how long CCTV’s Premier League boycott will last, with the broadcaster still refusing to show NBA games.
