In North Korea, state broadcaster KCTV shows Premier League games - but coverage is tightly censored  by the country’s totalitarian regime.

In particular, this affects fans of Tottenham. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has vetoed all broadcasts of the North Londoners' games.

That’s because of Spurs star Heung-min Son. North Korea refuses to give air time to a celebrity from South Korea, a country it deems an enemy. 

Other clubs suffer a TV blackout, too: Wolves and Brentford, who have South Koreans Hee-chan Hwang and Ji-soo Kim, have been vetoed. 

Premier League games are shown in North Korea some four months after they’re played. For North Korean viewers, the season has just started.

And North Korea’s state broadcaster - which hasn’t paid for the rights to the action, either live or as highlights - cuts games down to an hour.

The Premier League isn’t the only soccer aired in North Korea. In  2023, Champions League and World Cup games were also shown.

Before airing games, North Korean authorities seek to cut out advertising or any other content the regime doesn’t want its people to see.

North Korea’s Spurs veto was revealed by the UK newspaper The Sun, coinciding with their clash with Man United - Kim’s favorite club.

The Italian politician Antonio Razzi, who has spoken frequently with  Kim, has confirmed the North Korean leader is a supporter of United.