In a sign of the times, China's 30 million English Premier League fans will have to pay $24 a month if they want to watch EPL games, beginning next season.
Tiny WinTV (40,000 subscribers) won EPL broadcasting, Internet and mobile rights. Previously, fans could watch for free on ESPN-Star via local cable.
''The fans will have to endure the pain of the change,'' WinTV chief executive Song Zheng. ''Let's say goodbye to free Premier League. No more free lunch in the future.''
WinTV may be small, but Song sees a bright future of soccer on mobile devices and the Internet.
''Fans can enjoy the games in various convenient ways,'' he said. ''There's only one premise — pay.''