The NFL continues to make headway into the Chinese market, announcing a deal with Tencent for a three-year partnership that makes Tencent Sports the exclusive live digital streaming media partner of the league throughout the country. Tencent will air live and on-demand select preseason games, as well as all Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football games, and select Sunday afternoon games in addition to the playoffs, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. The deal also features other expanded footage and programming rights, such as the NFL Draft, NFL Combine, and NFL Game Day, as well as programming such as NFL Hard Knocks and A Football Life.
“We believe our capability in production, content distribution and fans engagement will help NFL expand its audience profile and elevate the popularity of American football in China,” said Tencent VP Caitlyn Chen. “Tencent Sports has been dedicated to fulfilling the diverse needs of Chinese users by bringing top premium sports content to China, including global sports leagues and tournaments, basketball, soccer, tennis, winter sports and American football, among others. We will continue to maximize the value of the sports right owners via the partnership and enhance the digital entertainment experience for Chinese users. We are committed to contributing to the growth of China’s sports industry.”