Chinese company LeSports had its four-year contract to broadcast Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions terminated by the continental governing body last week after failing to pay an instalment on the deal, sources have confirmed to Reuters. The deal, worth in excess of $100 million, was signed with the sports unit of Chinese technology giant LeEco in October 2015 and gave the company exclusive China broadcast rights to matches played under AFC auspices.
The agreement was cancelled last week, sources said, after LeSports failed to pay the latest instalment on a contract that covered the Asian Champions League, Asia's final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals and the Asian Cup from 2017 until 2020. There was no immediate reply to a request for comment from LeEco. The AFC told Reuters it was not in a position to comment.