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 the past 18 months. They recently took over the broadcast rights to La Liga in China, purchased Super Sports Media (current EPL rights holders in China) last year, and have now, with Fortis Sports AG, claimed the AFC’s near-global commercial rights as part of an 8-year deal. This deal marks the first time a Chinese company has won a global-level sports IP pitch, and as such, we can expect to see an increase of Chinese sponsors of the AFC in the future.
La Liga Drives Automobile Brand Sponsorship
Chinese automobile brand, Dongfeng Fengguang, has signed a sponsorship deal with La Liga. Dongfeng will become the Official China Regional Automobile Sponsor of La Liga for the 2018-2019 season. Together, they will launch a series of marketing campaigns to promote the brand while focussing on youth football in China. Read more on Xinhuanet (Chinese)
Mercedes-Benz Teams Up with PGA Tour Series-China
Appointed as the official vehicle partner of the PGA Tour Series-China, this partnership will be activated at the Kunming tournament, taking place from 14th to 17th June. Mercedes-Benz will provide its V-class luxury multi-function car to support the competition. Read more on Lanxiong (Chinese)
Mailman Take: Sponsoring golf events has proven a positive investment for automobile brands. According to a recent Nielsen report, golf is the second most popular sport among high-net-worth individuals in China. Buick, Volvo, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have all recently invested in Chinese golf sponsorship. Following Buick’s sponsorship of Shanshan Feng, they won the naming rights for the LPGA Shanghai tournament. Domestic automobile brands are currently facing stiff competition in the Chinese market after the announcement of a tariff cut on imported cars to 10%.
FIFA World Cup™ Brings On New Chinese Sponsor
Chinese Men’s business attire brand, DIKING, has become an Official Asian Supporter of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. As part of the collaboration, DIKING will enjoy a range of rights including brand association rights in Asia, LED board exposure during the FIFA World Cup™ events and access to tickets. Read more on Sina (Chinese) and the FIFA Official Website (English)
China CITIC Serves Up New Contract with China Open
China CITIC Bank has extended its sponsorship contract with the China Open Tennis Tournament for five more years. This renewal makes CITIC Bank the longest-serving sponsor of the event. Read more on Sohu (Chinese)
CCTV Distributes Video Rights to UCWeb
Alibaba Group’s UCWeb has acquired the media rights to use CCTV non-live content, including short-form videos and highlights, for the FIFA World Cup™. Read more on Sina (Chinese)
Great Sports to Broadcast 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in China
Shanghai TV station, Great Sports, has partnered with CCTV to broadcast the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. This marks the fifth consecutive tournament Great Sports has broadcast the FIFA World Cup™. Read more on Great Sports (Chinese)
FILA Embraces Young Chinese Ambassador
Italian sportswear brand FILA has signed up young Chinese singer and actor, Wang Yuan, as its new brand ambassador. Wang Yuan is part of the popular Chinese boy group TFBoys. This new partnership shows FILA’s ambition to enter into the millennial and generation Z consumer markets. Read more on PR Newswire (Chinese)
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