France's Ligue 1 expands China coverage

Hot on the heels of the country's World Cup victory and the inexorable rise of Kylian Mbappe, French soccer is tapping into its growing popularity in China.

Chinese media giant Suning Sports on Saturday announced a new three-year deal for exclusive live broadcast rights to France's topflight Ligue 1 Conforama, where Mbappe, one of the stars of Les Bleus' World Cup victory, plies his trade with European giant Paris Saint-Germain.

The agreement, which also includes the Trophee des Champions and Coupe de la Ligue competitions, allows Suning to broadcast at least six matches per day on its PP Sports platform as France's Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) looks to capitalize on China's ever-expanding audience of online viewers.