Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week:
Mailman Strikes Partnership with Dugout
China’s leading sports digital consultancy, Mailman, will work closely with Dugout’s network of contributors to produce exclusive and behind the scenes content tailored to Chinese audiences. The content will be distributed across numerous platforms including Weibo and Douyin. Dugout is a JV comprising of 9 top European football clubs providing original and exclusive content from clubs all over the world.
Inter Milan Books China Travel Partner
Lvmama.com, a leading Chinese tourism & leisure platform, has become the Official China Travel Partner of Inter Milan. Lvmama will look to develop “Football Tours” dedicated to Chinese fans and tourists, providing them with the opportunity to travel to Milan and attend Inter Milan matches. Read more on Inter Milan’s Official Website
Mailman Take: As China’s middle-class continues to grow, the size of China’s sports tourism industry is increasing 30-40% year on year. In 2017, 15% of Chinese overseas visitors were related to sports tourism, and investment in the sector has increased by 60% yearly for the past two years. The majority of overseas travellers come from tier-1 cities, with males accounting for 54%. According to research, marathon running is the most popular sport involved in sports tourism.
ASICS Teams up with China Champion
Japanese sportswear brand, ASICS, has signed its first Chinese women’s tennis player, Zhang Shuai, who is currently ranked 30th in the world by the WTA. Zhang Shuai will attend ASICS events to help the brand to expand its business in the regions of Asia and the US. Read more on Nowre (Chinese)
AirAsia Title Sponsors WESG
AirAsia has become the title sponsor of the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) Southeast Asia. The sponsorship will allow AirAsia to gain brand exposure online and offline. In return, AirAsia will provide air ticket support for all WESG players. Read more on TGBus.com (Chinese) and The Esports Observer (English)
Shougang Sports in Ice Hockey Partnership
As a supporter of China’s ice hockey journey to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Shougang Sports has signed a new strategic partnership with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association. Shougang Sports will help the association with team management and operations of the Chinese national ice hockey development squad. Read more on Sohu (Chinese)
Dalian to Invest RMB 12 Billion in Football Town
Dalian is set to invest RMB 12 billion ($1.8 billion) into a football-themed town over the next five years. The Lyushunkou district government of Dalian city recently signed a contract with Dalian Football Town Industry Development Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Renhe Commercial Holdings. Read more on the China Daily (English)
Mailman Take: Sport-themed towns/cities are becoming a trend in China, with more than 10 towns currently under construction. As well as football, many marathon, kung fu and winter sports towns are also appearing across China. Most of these are aimed at building a destination which includes sport, entertainment, tourism, education and real estate. By leveraging the benefits of sports policies, these towns are growing quickly through the support from the Chinese government,
Professional Approach for the Table Tennis World Tour
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has partnered with Chinese sports marketing agency, Sportsmaster, to professionalise the sport by setting a new tournament platform along with an integrated commercial programme. Read more on SportsPro (English)
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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.