England's Top Soccer League Scrambles to Secure Asian TV Deals
- Rights holder MP & Silva is said to have missed payment
- Premier League must now reach new deals for Japan, South Korea
Joe Hart of West Ham United makes a save during the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United on April 8, in London.
Photographer: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
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England’s Premier League is rushing to secure TV deals for some of the competition’s biggest Asian markets ahead of the season’s start on Friday, after financial problems at a rights agency threatened to prevent games being shown.
The league may announce agreements hours before the first match kicks off, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the details aren’t yet public. That would allow viewers in seven territories to see the early games, including Friday’s 8 p.m. kickoff pitching Manchester United against Leicester City.