Game-viewing experience for CSL fans enhanced

The growing appeal of the Chinese Super League has led Gansu TV and Tencent to create a cross-media platform to enhance the game-viewing experience for soccer fans.

Tencent, China's major internet portal, has established a user-interactive zone on its sports page and mobile apps to enable viewers to chat online and play soccer-themed games while watching live games on Gansu TV's satellite channel.

The cooperative agreement was proposed by Beijing Vastarry Sports Development Co, Gansu TV's operating and marketing partner.

The demand for socializing and entertaining around soccer games is diversifying in the digital era, so the cross-media platform will appeal to a new generation of fans who are keen to be more involved in the game, said Gao Qiang, president of Vastarry Sports.

"Gansu TV has rich experience in producing high-quality live game broadcasts and the new deal will build upon that to better feed the fans with access to interactive content on Tencent. We hope this could help attract more fans to the game," Gao said at a new conference to announce the deal on Tuesday.

CSL, China's top professional soccer league, has experienced increases in game attendance and media ratings on multiple platforms since its 2016 season kicked off in early March.

The game's popularity also has seen major media organizations, both TV and online outlets, compete for broadcasting rights. The season continues through November.

Last October, China Sports Media Co bought the media rights for CSL over the next five years for 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), and then distributed the exclusive online broadcasting rights to LeSports for two years, from 2016 to 2017, for 2.7 billion yuan in February.

Gansu TV's satellite channel has been the only free TV platform apart from China Central Television's sports channel to air CSL games nationwide, thanks to its deal with CSL Co in 2014 to broadcast the league through 2017. The agreement is not affected by the China Sports Media deal.