China fans: why pay to watch a World Cup we’re not in, and can get for free online?

Chinese football fans appear largely unconcerned about the possibility of missing out on watching this summer’s World Cup, with Fifa and state broadcaster CCTV yet to reach a deal on television rights.

With less than five weeks until the tournament starts, there has been almost no promotional content on the mainland, standing in stark contrast to the previous two editions when CCTV secured rights early and began airing adverts and sponsor content weeks in advance.

A combination of early morning kick-offs and the lack of any Chinese representation has made the tournament a tough sell to a market that accounted for 49.8 per cent of all hours of viewing on digital and social platforms globally four years ago.

The game’s governing body had reportedly demanded as much as US$300 million for the rights to show games, far exceeding CCTV’s expected price of US$80 million.

Facing this deadlock, a vast majority of mainland fans supported CCTV’s firm stance, and backed the refusal to waste public funds while turning the broadcaster into Fifa’s “cash cow.”

“No one is going to wake up early in the morning to drink and watch matches, and who would we be celebrating anyway?” one fan lamented on social media.