Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week:
Winter Olympic Games Partner With Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo have become the official social media provider to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. As one of China’s largest social media platforms, it will utilise its substantial user base and platform capabilities, such as live streaming, to increase the profile of the Winter Olympics in China. Read more on Sohu (Chinese)
Mailman Take: For a long time, Weibo was seen as China’s Twitter clone, however, it is now both worth more and has a larger user base (380+ million MAUs) than its Western counterpart. It has a big focus on sports in China with netizens trusting it as their number one resource for official news and updates, placing it as the natural choice for the Winter Olympics to grow its presence in China.
Mailman Take: This isn’t the first deal of its type, a similar agreement between a Chinese furniture company and the L.A. Clippers also exists. The NBA is incredibly popular in China, its estimated fan base of over 450 million gives Chinese brands a simple way to market a mass audience. With Tencent’s exclusive streaming of NBA games online as well as fixtures broadcasted on national TV, the exposure gained for brands willing to pay is vast.
Greenland Group Invests in Esports
Greenland Group have announced its subsidiary Greenland Financial Investment Holding Group intends to invest RMB 60 million for a 50% stake in Chinese esports company Shanghai Pengta. The deal is Greenland Group’s first venture into the esports industry as it aims to develop its new business model, the integration of real estate, finance and esports, by developing esports venues in China. Read more on LeSports (Chinese)
Kayford Sports to Sell World Cup Products in China
Kayford Sports have retained the rights to manufacture and distribute official FIFA World Cup merchandise in China ahead of the tournament to be held this summer. The products will be sold on various domestic ecommerce platforms including Tmall, JD.com, and Taobao. Read more on Sohu (Chinese)
DHL Extend CSL Partnership DHL have announced a three-year extension of their official partnership with the Chinese Super League, through to 2020. As well as working alongside the CSL to develop football in China, DHL will benefit from the league’s increasing viewership figures, which reached 430 million over the course of the 2017 season. Read more on Sports Business (English)
Chinese Consumer electronics company Hisense have announced a strategic partnership with U.S. broadcasting giant Fox Sports to provide its clients coverage of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The deal will allow Hisense to provide its customers with exclusive World Cup content through the Fox Sports app, which will be integrated directly into all Hisense smart televisions. Read more on SportsPro Media (English)
Xiamen Hosts First International Sports Industry Fair
As one of the supporting exhibitions to the National Sports Industry Conference, ISIF is currently being held in Xiamen for the first time, alongside the China Mobile Esports Game Industry Expo. With an estimated audience of 30,000 in attendance, the exhibition is primarily focused on “industry integration, innovation, and development” as well as showcasing a number of new products including sports technologies, fitness and rehabilitation equipment and more. Find out more on the event website (Chinese)
Badminton World Tour Finals Find New Home Guangzhou has become the host city for the BWF World Tour Finals from 2018 to 2021. HSBC was also announced as the competition’s official global partner. Read more on Sina (Chinese)
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Mailman is a leading China sports digital and marketing platform. We help global rights holders, athletes and brands build a successful business in China.