"StarTimes faces winding up order in France for non-payment of French football TV rights"

" \n Chinese-owned pay-television operator in sub-Saharan Africa, StarTimes, is facing the threat of a winding up order after failing to pay beIN Media Group for rights to French football\u2019s Ligue 1, according to a GlobalData report. \n \n\n \n GlobalData also says that the broadcaster, which is part of Hong Kong-based holding company, Century Sun, has delayed payments to other rights-holders, albeit these have not escalated to legal proceedings as yet. \n \n\n \n StarTimes has been expanding its portfolio of top-tier football in recent years \u2013 in August last year it landed non-exclusive French language rights to Spanish football\u2019s La Liga for four years, and other competitions it is showing in the 2020-21 season include Spain\u2019s Copa del Rey, England\u2019s FA Cup, Italy\u2019s Coppa Italia and Europe\u2019s UEFA Europa League and delayed 2020 European Championships. \n \n\n \n However, it is the deal struck mid-way through 2018 for the English- and local-language rights to Ligue 1 and other French football properties in sub-Saharan Africa that has brought to light the financial difficulties facing the broadcaster. \n \n\n \n Having failed to make any payments for those rights, StarTimes is currently in debt to beIN to the tune of $11 million, including interest, according to the court petition. \n \n\n \n After the matter was taken to a court in Hong Kong, a new monthly payment plan instigated by StarTimes was agreed upon by the two parties prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, but StarTimes missed the first instalment due on October 1. \n \n\n \n Talks between the two parties\u2019 legal representatives since have failed to reach a conclusion, with beIN, which holds international Ligue 1 rights from 2018-19 to 2023-24, having now taken the decision to issue a winding up order on StarTimes. \n \n\n \n Ghana \n \n\n \n StarTimes has been a sponsor of Ghana\u2019s Premier League, and the company is involved in Ghana\u2019s embattled digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) implementation process, through which government wants to implement a conditional access (CA). \n \n\n \n Industry players allege that the implementation of the CA would mean StarTimes and its assigns would remotely control the broadcasting space in the country, hiding behind a state structure. \n "

"StarTimes faces winding up order in France for non-payment of French football TV rights"

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