Chinese media giants LeSports and PPTV are reportedly set to battle for the exclusive online rights to broadcast Chinese Super League games in the upcoming season.

LeSports is still the current official holder of the broadcast rights for China top-flight games but PPTV, a media entity of electronics retail giant Suning Holdings Group, is said to be "in talks" with the CSL to have a share of the privilege, according to Sports Business Daily. Suning Holding Group is also the company that owns last year's CSL runners-up Jiangsu Suning FC.

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Bringing the matches to football fans not only in China and Hong Kong but also in the United States and other Asian countries, LeSports won the bid for the right to broadcast CSL games last year in a deal worth $390 million.

The contract is for two years, which means that it is still valid for the upcoming season. However, China top-flight rules state that "at least two new media platforms are required as broadcasters" so new proposals are welcome.

The South China Morning Post reported that LeSports would rather have "non-exclusive rights over exclusive rights in the second season" of their two-year deal as "CSL matches were unable to attract as many new paid subscribers as LeEco expected," thus allowing PPTV to make a bid.

LeSports, the sports arm of global technology firm LeEco, and PPTV are reportedly preparing an offering of at least $72.8 million each "for the new media broadcast rights to all matches and broadcasting through Internet-based over-the-top services this season."

State-backed investment group Tiao Power is also currently an official broadcaster of CSL matches with their $1.16 billion deal extending up to the year 2021.

While the said companies could claim official broadcast rights this season, there are still other platforms that offer fans CSL games for free, which hurts the value of the said matches and making them less profitable, according to LeSports' chief content officer Liu Jianhong.

The 2017 CSL season will begin next month with a match between newly-promoted side Guizhou Zhicheng and Liaoning Whowin at the Guiyang Olympic Sports Center on March 3.

TagsChinese Super League, Chinese Super League rumors, Chinese Super League rumors 2017, LeSports, PPTV