Fifa extends China TV rights to CCTV

State broadcaster has held the contract since 1978 and will do so for another five years

Chinese football fans watch a broadcast of the Fifa World Cup 2014 final. The governing body has extended the rights for CCTV to cover the next two events. Rolex Dela Pena/ EPA

Fifa has extended its rights deal with China's state broadcaster, which has run since the 1978 World Cup.

The global soccer body said on Wednesday that it has agreed to grant China Central Television (CCTV) the exclusive media rights in China for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which will be held in Russia and Qatar respectively.

The deal with the state broadcaster includes all its other major international competitions until 2022, including the women's World Cup in 2019.

It covered all media rights across all platforms including live, delayed and highlights rights, Fifa said giving no financial terms.

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Fifa said that CCTV, which has broadcast the World Cup in China since the 1978 edition in Argentina, reaches 99 per cent of the population throughout the country and that "the partnership will help Fifa to reach the widest possible audience in China".

"China has an important role to play in FIFA's global development strategy," said the Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura.

"Our close partnership with CCTV, reinforced by this new two-cycle deal, will make the Fifa World Cup even more accessible to the Chinese audience, increase further the popularity of the game in the country, and support the development of Chinese football."

China's team failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament.