Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week, and my From the Top interview is with Li Shuangfu, President of Chinese sport business media Lanxiong Sports, where we talk about the current sports digital broadcast landscape in China. Alibaba & Suning to Team Up Chinese conglomerates Alibaba and Suning are reportedly looking to expand their relationship by establishing a joint venture dedicated to the sports industry. The deal is yet to be

Mailman, a global sports digital marketing agency headquartered in Shanghai, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with emlyon business school Asia, a subsidiary of the leading French business school. The scope of the MoU will allow both sides to engage in mutually beneficial, value-adding activities. The signing of the MoU took place at the Beijing International Convention Center on April 29, as part of the (emlyon business school Eurasian Sport Industry Development

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Dicos Delivers NBA Partnership The NBA (National Basketball Association) announced a deal with fast-food chain Dicos, making the Taiwan-based brand a marketing partner of NBA China. Dicos plan to engage fans with NBA-themed meals and family activities across its 2,500 outlets in China. They will also stage interactive fan events at this year’s NBA China Games, taking place on October 10 and 1

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: MORE Sports Lands in China Sports lifestyle media platform, MORE Sports, has officially entered the Chinese market with a grand launch event featuring basketball star Kevin Garnett and many local celebrities. MORE Sports is tailored for Chinese sports fans and the app showcases lifestyle and behind-the-scenes stories of popular NBA and CBA stars, ranging from cooking to fashion, music and mor

Welcome to the Red Card 2019 report, now in its 8th year of publication. The report identifies the number one European Football Club, League and Player online in China according to 8 metrics. The Red Card also includes the ‘China Digital Football Awards’ voted for by a panel of independent judges. The last 12 months have seen consistent growth in the football industry. Sports IPs no longer simply target brand awareness online, the challenge has been to balance this with digit

Here are the Top 10 China sports business stories of 2018: Mengniu Group Named FIFA World Cup Official Sponsor Chinese dairy company Mengniu Group became an official sponsor of the 2018 Russia World Cup. The deal included 4 categories of Mengniu’s products as their branding appeared on all key promotional platforms. It is the first time for a dairy brand to sponsor the World Cup. Read more on Bloomberg (English) and Lanxiong (Chinese) Winter Olympic Games Teamed Up with Sina

Why Most Companies Will Fail In China’s Sports Economy By Andrew Collins The Chinese sports economy has gone through a radical shift in the past 5 years, with the catalyst being Xi Jinping’s proclamation of China’s sports ambitions. This spurred investors into the market, service providers and a sea of ‘copycat’ companies looking to capture market share from China’s active consumers. Fast forward 3 years since that heralded speech by President Xi, and the market has adjusted

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Bundesliga Clubs Sign MOU to Develop Grassroots Football in China  FC Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach have shown commitment to developing football in the Jiangsu region as part of the 30-year cooperation between the clubs and Jiangsu Province. Read more on Dongqiudi (Chinese) Mailman Take: This is another move which highlights the unique approach of Bundesl

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: FIBA Signs Global Partnership with Ganten FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, has announced a global partnership with Ganten, Asia’s leading mineral water supplier. The partnership will help Shenzhen-based Ganten build its brand as it expands into new markets worldwide and strengthens links between FIBA and China’s business sector ahead of next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup in C

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Liverpool Renews MG China Deal The renewal sees the car brand’s partnership with the club continue for a third successive year. The agreement has already witnessed the creation of limited edition LFC branded vehicles, the launch of a TV commercial, and club legends attending International Motor Shows in China. Read more on Liverpool’s Official Website (English) and NetEase Automobile (Chinese

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Joint Membership Launch for Tencent Sports & Manchester City Tencent Sports has teamed up with English Premier League champions Manchester City FC to launch a joint membership and further engage Tencent customers with the football club’s Chinese fans. This new partnership aims to provide an abundance of exclusive offers and benefits to members. Read more on Tencent Sports (Chinese) Mailman Ta

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: PP Sports Scores Ligue 1 Deal Chinese digital sports platform PP Sports has signed a three-year deal (2018-2021) with the French Football League (LFP) for the exclusive new media rights in China to Ligue 1, the Coupe de la Ligue, and the Trophée des Champions. Read more on Sohu (Chinese) and Sport Business (English) Momentum Sports Merges with CAA China CAA China has announced a merger agreem

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Alibaba Finances Suning Sports Alibaba has made a significant investment in Suning Sports as part of Suning Sports’ A-round financing. Total investment is rumoured to be close to $600 million, valuing the company at over RMB 10 billion. Alibaba-owned Youku will launch its new Youku Sports channel in collaboration with Suning-owned PP Sports, as they aim to deliver a comprehensive digital spor

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Mailman Strikes Partnership with Dugout China’s leading sports digital consultancy, Mailman, will work closely with Dugout’s network of contributors to produce exclusive and behind the scenes content tailored to Chinese audiences. The content will be distributed across numerous platforms including Weibo and Douyin. Dugout is a JV comprising of 9 top European football clubs providing original

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: FIBA Lands Global Partnership with TCL FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, has announced a comprehensive global partnership with Chinese brand TCL, one of the world’s leading consumer electronic brands. The partnership comes into effect immediately and covers worldwide FIBA competitions until December 31, 2019. Read more on the FIBA Official Website (English) FIBA-BG Basketball Aca

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: iQiyi Becomes Home of Golf in China Chinese OTT platform iQiyi has secured coverage to all four of men’s golf’s major tournaments after picking up rights to the US Open in China, adding to its rights to stream The Masters, The Open and PGA Championship. Read more on Sohu (Chinese) and SportsPro (English) Mailman Take: Compared to Tencent Sports and PPTV Sports, who are competing for the very

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: DDMC and Fortis Land AFC Deal The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has signed an 8-year agreement with DDMC Sports International Ltd and Fortis Sports AG. The deal includes AFC’s commercial and broadcast rights for the period 2021-2028. Read more on DDMC Official Website (Chinese) and AFC Official Website (English) Mailman Take: DDMC, the owner of Desports, has been expanding rapidly over t

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Mailman Delivers COPA90 Partnership in China COPA90 and Mailman have officially signed a media partnership in China. Localised COPA90 content will be distributed to Chinese football fans through COPA90’s Chinese social media channels. These channels will include Weibo and Miaopai. Read more on Ecosports (Chinese) and The Drum (English) Mailman Take: In the first 6 months, the main aim will be

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Thierry Henry Named as Vatti Ambassador As an official sponsor of the French national team, Chinese kitchen appliance manufacturer Vatti has also signed Henry as brand ambassador. Announcing the partnership, Henry took part in a live stream on Weibo during which he showed off his Chinese culinary skills. Read more on Sohu (Chinese) Mailman Take: Working with Henry helps Vatti tie in French cu

Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week: Nike Extends CFA Deal The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has renewed its partnership with Nike. The deal will run for ten years at a total value of $473 million. Nike will continue to provide kits for all 16 Chinese Super League (CSL) teams. Read more on Sina (Chinese) and SportsPro (English) Mailman Take: The $473 million contract represents a good deal for Nike. Under the contract, $346