China Sports Business Weekly | 13th October

AC Milan to Open China Office

AC Milan will officially open an office in Beijing this Friday. The Italian club hosted a China resources sharing seminar in Shanghai earlier this week, which aimed to present potential sponsors and agencies working in the sports industry with opportunities to collaborate with the club. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

1. Mailman Take: Establishing an office in China means that AC Milan will have fewer policy restrictions and can invest further in e-commerce, local sponsorship, events and tournaments. There is no substitute for being on the ground in China.

Hisense Sponsor USA Soccer

Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense has announced a comprehensive partnership to become the official TV and appliance supplier of the US national soccer teams. Hisense will support US soccer at all levels and work as an active partner on soccer development projects. Read more on US Soccer (English)

1. Mailman Takes: Hisense was a major sponsor of Euro 2016 and is currently a high-level FIFA sponsor. It is one of the most active Chinese brands in global sports marketing. Other Chinese tech brands such as Huawei, Vivo, OPPO, Haier and Lenovo are also expanding aggressively overseas, and by partnering with famous international tournaments and organisations, they are building positive reputations and important long-term partnerships.

Volvo Ocean Race Partners with Sina Sports

Volvo Ocean Race and Sina Sports have agreed to a content partnership that will see video and digital coverage from the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18 be distributed across Sina Sports’ platforms. Sina Sports will feature weekly race updates, regular news highlights and live streaming. Read more on Sina (Chinese)

1. Mailman Take: Sina Weibo and Sina Sports are vital platforms to build a fan-base through daily communication and regular campaigns. Sina has hundreds of millions of daily users and is an important portal for promotion and exposure.

FEI Partners with China National Sports International

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has announced a new partnership with China National Sports International (CNSI), a sports and entertainment company that specialises in equestrian sports in China. The five-year deal will see the FEI and CNSI develop an ecommerce platform and social media presence by 2018. Read more on Equnews (English)

Jin Mai Lang to Sponsor CBA

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has announced a three-year partnership with Hebei-based water bottling company Jin Mai Lang who will become the official water supplier for the CBA season’s 2017/18 – 2019/20. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

Lacoste Signs Deal with Shanghai Masters

Sportswear manufacturer Lacoste has signed a five-year strategic partnership with the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The sports and leisurewear brand will become an official partner of the annual third-tier men’s tennis championship until 2021. In addition to advertisement hoardings, Lacoste will also benefit from two on-site sales areas during the tournament. Read more on SportsPro (English)

CSL Club Chairman Richest in China

The latest Hurun Report, listing China’s richest people, sees Guangzhou Evergrande chairman Xu Jiayin top of the pile with a net worth of RMB 290 billion. The owner of CBA club Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Sun Guangxi, is 45th on the list at RMB 42 billion. View the full China Rich List on Hurun (Chinese)

Beijing Ducks Initiate Overseas Training Programs

The Beijing Ducks have launched an overseas youth training program named Eyas Camp. The CBA club will select nine young athletes to train and study in the US. The program’s goal is to support athletes to play in US high school leagues, the NCAA and progress into professional leagues. Beijing Shougang Sports, owners of the Beijing Ducks, also launched a similar program for their ice hockey club. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

Mailman is a sports digital consultancy and marketing platform and a leader in the China Sports Marketing industry. We help global rights holders, athletes, and leagues to build a successful business in China.