China Sports Business Weekly | 1st September

Here are the top sports business news stories you need to know from this week:

Tencent Signs Exclusive Digital Partnership with USTA

Tencent Sports has signed a three-year partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The deal sees the online sports platform become the exclusive Chinese digital media partner of the US Open until the end of the 2019 event. Tencent also holds the digital rights to the French Open and Wimbledon Championships. Read more on SportsPro (English)

Sketchers Signs New Brand Ambassador Li Yifeng

American lifestyle and footwear brand Sketchers has announced Chinese actor and singer Li Yifeng as their new brand ambassador. Sketchers entered China in 2007 and now has over 2000 stores across the country. Sketchers also have Chinese actress Tang Yan and Olympic Gold Medalist Li Xiaopeng as ambassadors. Read more on MadisonBoom (Chinese)

Yili Dairy Becomes Official Sponsor of 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced its third official sponsor, Yili Dairy. Financial details were not released.  Yili Dairy previously sponsored the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as the Chinese Olympic Committee. Bank of China and Air China have already been unveiled as the first two official partners. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

MLB Extends Partnership with China Baseball Association

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the China Baseball Association recently signed an extension to their partnership agreement. The deal allows China’s national baseball team to continue to join the MLB’s spring training in 2018 and offers opportunities for fixtures against MLB clubs. Read more on XinhuaNet (English)

Thomas Cook Target China’s Man City Supporters

Manchester City has agreed to a three-year deal with UK’s leading sports travel operator, Thomas Cook. The agent will provide official hotel and ticket packages for City fans worldwide. Thomas Cook is offering an exclusive travel service called Etihad Campus Trip package to City supporters in China. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

Guangzhou Evergrande FC Loose 660 Million in First Half of 2017

Guangzhou Evergrande FC recently released its first-half results. The total income of the club was RMB 284 million, however,  losses totalled RMB 662 million during the first 6 months of 2017. This marks a RMB 350 million increase compared to the same period last year. According to the club, the losses are mainly due to coach/player salaries and transfer costs. Read more on SportsMoney (Chinese)

Marriott Expands NBA Sponsorship NBA

Marriott International will now activate at marquee league events around the globe during the 2017/18 NBA season, including games in China, London and Mexico City, as well as the 2018 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Members of the Marriott rewards program will be able to redeem points for a chance to attend games. Read more on Marriott (English)

EFL 3rd Round Draw Held in Beijing

The English Football League (EFL) Carabao Cup third round draw took place in Beijing at 4:15 am UK time this week. A spokesman stated that the EFL hosting the draw in China was designed to appeal to the growing global support for the competition and to reach new audiences for both the EFL and its sponsors. Read more on Lanxiong (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.