Hong Kong football fans won’t be able to watch FA Cup final legally as troubled LeEco’s sports channel abandons coverage

The sports arm of troubled Chinese company announces it won’t be showing showpiece of English football season

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Chelsea celebrate winning the Premier League, but fans in Hong Kong won’t be able to see them try to secure the double. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:17pm, 25 May 2017Updated: 4:52pm, 25 May 2017

Fans of Chelsea and Arsenal won’t be able to legally watch their teams take each other on in the English FA Cup final this weekend after a surprise announcement from broadcaster LeSports HK.

The channel, part of Chinese conglomerate LeEco, said “due to adjustments to programmes” they they would no longer be showing the showpiece of the English football season, without providing an explanation.

“LeSports HK sincerely apologises to users that have been affected by this arrangement, and will be offering a 3-month LeSports Super Sports Pack to affected users as compensation,” the firm said in a statement.

Then-unknown LeSports spent a staggering US$400 million to broadcast the English Premier League in Hong Kong.

In December, the coverage was interrupted, with LeSports denying that was because they had failed to make payments on time.

The grand announcement in 2015 that LeSports had secured the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Photo: Handout

“We’re very disappointed obviously, though my friend told me that TVB might get the rights, so hopefully we can still see it,” said a member of the Arsenal Supporters’ Club Hong Kong, who wished to remain anonymous.

He said most fans would resort to illegal streams if they couldn’t watch it legitimately.