Tencent’s Con fed Cup coup

Tencent Sports has obtained exclusive rights for video-on-demand and live streaming of the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

The agreement, which covers the Chinese mainland, also includes exclusive digital media rights for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017, which will be held in India in October.

The ongoing Confederations Cup tournament is the test event for next summer’s World Cup in Russia, and features some of soccer’s biggest names, including Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

The eight-team tournament includes host Russia, 2014 World Cup champion Germany and the holders of FIFA’s six confederation championships (Portugal, Chile, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and New Zealand).

A host of renowned Chinese soccer experts are commentating on and analyzing the live action from Russia on Tencent, including Su Dong, Yan Qiang and Li Yi.

“The Confederations Cup is a tournament featuring the best national teams and players in the world. The collaboration with FIFA, the top governing body of football, offers Chinese fans access to the world’s top football games on Tencent’s various platforms,” said General Manager of Tencent Sports Ewell Zhao.

“With over 900 million monthly active users at WeChat (known as Weixin in China), Tencent will further boost the influence of international football tournaments in China through our multiple platforms including live steaming, news, programs and social engagement with users to bring China’s sports industry to new heights.”