England’s Premier League has won a High Court payout of at least $212m from a Chinese broadcaster over a contract that collapsed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hong Kong-based streaming service PPLive Sports International, which is owned by Chinese retail conglomerate Suning alongside Italian football club Inter Milan, was not justified in withholding payments in a $700m broadcast deal, London’s High Court ruled on Tuesday.
The contract collapsed when PPLive failed to honour payments amid the outbreak of coronavirus in Europe. The Premier League was forced to postpone matches in March 2020 because of the pandemic. When play resumed in June, games took place without fans in attendance.