Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week:
CCTV Confirms Broadcasting Deal with the LFP
China Central Television (CCTV) has officially obtained the broadcasting rights in China for Ligue 1. Starting from the remainder of the 2017/18 season until 2020/21, the deal was finalised by the French Professional Football League (LFP), along with beIN SPORTS. Read more on XinhuaNet (English) and WeChat (Chinese)
UnionPay Sponsors International Pre-season Football Tournament
Chinese financial services company China UnionPay has become the premium sponsor of the International Champions Cup (ICC) 2018 in Singapore. The 2018 International Champions Cup is scheduled to begin in July and end in August. Read more on SportsPro (English)
Mailman Take: This Summer, there will be no International Champions Cup (ICC) taking place in mainland China despite the growing popularity of the tournament and quality of teams visiting in recent years. Due to it being a World Cup year, there is a short off-season period and therefore limited player availability. At the moment. the ICC looks as if it will be taking place in only the US and Singapore.
Nike Grows in Chinese Basketball
Nike has signed its latest brand ambassador, Fang Shuo – point guard of China’s National Men’s Basketball Team. This partnership will allow Nike to gain more exposure in the Chinese basketball market. Read more on Jiemian and Nikeinc (Chinese)
Porsche AG Sponsors 2018 Beijing International Running Festival
German automobile manufacturer Porsche AG is the official sponsor of the 2018 Beijing International Running Festival – Beijing Half Marathon. Porsche AG will support the marathon by providing cars to transport timekeepers and cameramen throughout the race. Read more on XinhuaNet (Chinese)
Mailman Take: Running, and particularly marathons, have become increasingly popular in China over the past 5 years. In 2017, there were more than 800 marathon events on record, growing from just 300 in 2016. According to research from Nielsen, in 2015, the average spend by marathon runners reached RMB 3,500 per person on the sport. Based on forecasts, in 2020, there will be 1,900 marathons taking place in China each year, and the number of participants will reach 10 million with the total industry revenue, including broadcasting, sales, and training set to reach approximately RMB 120 billion ($19 billion).
Longines Extends Sponsorship of FEI World Cup Jumping China League
Swiss luxury watch brand Longines will continue to title sponsor and be the Official Timekeeper of the 2018 FEI World Cup Jumping China League. Read more on Sina (Chinese)
TATA Renews Sponsorship Deal with ITTF
Chinese wooden door manufacturer TATA has officially extended its partnership contract for the next three years with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), to sponsor and enjoy brand exposure during the 2017-2019 World Table Tennis Championships. Read more on NetEase (Chinese)
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