LONDON • The English Premier League is suing a Chinese broadcaster for US$215.3 million (S$292.2 million), saying its former partner failed to make a payment for rights to show live matches.

The league accuses PPLive Sports International, a subsidiary of Suning, of skipping a US$210.3 million payment for live matches and another US$5 million for highlight packages and interest, according to a filing in the British court case.

Sports around the world have been hurt by cancellations and restrictions on matches as governments restrict public gatherings to limit the coronavirus pandemic.

While the Premier League has some of the richest broadcast deals, its clubs have suffered due to empty stadiums and demands for rebates from broadcasters for rearranged matches and schedules.

PPLive said in an Aug 26 letter that it would break the agreements, but in its filing, the league said there was no legal basis for the broadcaster to do so.

The league has since signed a less lucrative deal in China with Tencent.

The Premier League declined to comment.

A spokeswoman for PPLive did not respond to queries by e-mail and WeChat during the Golden Week public holidays in China.

The Premier League's revenue is the world's richest and far outstrips its rivals such as the Bundesliga or La Liga, but the cancellation of the contract, its largest, has been a big blow.

It comes in addition to a loss of around £1 billion (S$1.7 billion) in sales last season owing to the pandemic, Deloitte said.

BLOOMBERG