Major League Baseball announces a partnership with Chinese online sports company Le Sports at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 7, 2016. [Photo: qq.com]

Major League Baseball has inked a deal with a Chinese online sports company for live-streaming games in China.

MLB and China-based Le Sports announced the partnership at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The two sides have agreed to cooperate for three years on live streaming games, side product sales, and in establishing baseball fields here in China.

MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. says MLB has targeted "family" as its marketing strategy.

"We think that baseball is the kind of sport that's very consonant with the values in Chinese culture. It's family orientated, it's relatively inexpensive to play, great exercise for kids, and we think it really is a perfect fit for China."

For Le Sports, CEO Lei Zhenjian says China's involvement in sports has greatly changed since the 2008 Olympics.

"Unlike before when we aimed to compete, now participating in sports is a means to have fun and enjoy the game itself. It has even become a new lifestyle, which I consider to be the best part of sports."

At the same time, both sides have seen great potential in the country's growing market.

It's anticipated that by 2025, China's consumption on sports will account for two percent of the nation's GDP, or about one trillion U.S. dollars.