Tuesday 26 July 2016 09:35, UK
Sky Sports has added yet another competition to its unrivalled schedule of live football with the addition of the Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL).
Sky Sports has secured the rights for the next three seasons to a league that already features a number of names familiar to Premier League fans, with former Chelsea midfielder Ramires joined by Obafemi Martins - once of Newcastle United - Gervinho, who played for Arsenal, and recent signing from Southampton Graziano Pelle.
The CSL adds even more depth to the live football on offer to Sky Sports viewers, who can already look forward to more Premier League games than ever before this season, including Friday nights for the first time.
Sky Sports is also the home of Sky Bet EFL, with 127 live games, as well as showing more than 300 matches from Spain's La Liga, the return of Old Firm games in Scotland, and FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
"This is more great news for football fans as we get set for our biggest ever season on Sky Sports," said Sky Sports head of football Gary Hughes said:
"The Ping An Chinese Super League is attracting players from Europe and is creating a really exciting competition that will only add to an incredible line-up of live football on Sky Sports."
The first match to be shown on Saturday July 30 could see former Newcastle United forward Martins in action when Shanghai Greenland Shenhua face Jiangsu Suning.
Then on Sunday, Guangzhou R&F take on ex-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson's side Shanghai SIPG, both games will be shown on Sky Sports 3 from 12.30pm.
The CSL runs from March to November with 16 teams competing for the title, and Sky Sports will show the action live through to 2018.
Opening Chinese Super League fixtures:
Saturday July 30: Shanghai Shenhua v Jiangsu Suning (12.30pm, Sky Sports 3)
Sunday July 31: Guangzhou R&F v Shanghai SIPG (12.30pm, Sky Sports 3)
Saturday August 13: Shanghai Shenhua v Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao (12.30pm)
Sunday August 14: Hebei China Fortune v Liaoning (12.30pm)
Sky Sports is the home of sport with an unrivalled schedule including all four golf Majors and the Ryder Cup, live England Test cricket, the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017 and every race live from Formula 1®.
