China's state television broadcaster has relegated English Premier League from its main sports channel to one that lures fewer viewers - a sign that professional football has been ensnared by increasingly fraught Sino-British relations. CCTV changed plans to air a match between Liverpool and Chelsea on its main sports channel, CCTV-5, yesterday, a person familiar with the decision said. It is not clear if CCTV-5, the main sports channel, will show the remainder of the current competition round, the person said. Officials at CCTV did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while representatives for the British Embassy in Beijing and the Premier League declined to comment. The Premier League has boosted its popularity in Asia substantially in the past few years, even staging on several occasions a preseason official tournament in Asia.

Source: The Standard July 23, 2020 19:07 UTC