China Sports Business Weekly | 7th December

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

Samsung Named Official Sponsor of Jiangsu Suning Football Club Korean electronics brand Samsung will become the Chinese Super League team's main sponsor for the next 3 seasons (2019-2021). Samsung's name will appear on the front and back of the club's home & away shirts. Read more on Ecosports (Chinese) 

NBA Hoop Park Opens NBA China has opened an NBA-culture venue project in China, the NBA Hoop Park, in Meixihu, Changsha. NBA Hoop Park comprises of indoor and outdoor basketball courts and facilities that allow local communities to experience and immerse themselves in the NBA experience. Read more on NBA China (Chinese)

• Mailman Take: With 33 million followers on Weibo, the NBA is determined to integrate that online following with official NBA offline experiences. The NBA Hoop Park will serve as the one-stop hub for fans to play basketball and enjoy authentic NBA culture and lifestyle. With companies like Rucker Park rapidly expanding their web of basketball facilities (50 parks by end of 2018) and profiting at the grassroots level, the NBA Hoop Park announces NBA's ambition to enter and compete in this market too.

Wolverhampton Wanderers in Fosun Naming Deal Fosun International, which purchased the English Premier League club back in 2016, has signed a further sponsorship deal which will see the club’s training ground rebranded for the first time. The training facility, which is owned by the investment firm, will officially be known as the ‘Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground sponsored by Fosun International’. Read more on SportsPro (English)

LaLiga Commits to Yunnan According to a press release from LaLiga, the Spanish football league signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kunming Municipal Government and the China Sports Futurity Development (CSFI) to establish a long-term strategic partnership centred on two projects: "Kunming International Sports Health Valley" and "LaLiga International Football Academy of Kunming". Read more on People.cn (Chinese)

Motorsport Network in JV with SECA Shanghai Motorsport Network, the international technology and media business, confirmed that it had formalised a new strategic joint venture with major Chinese sports promotion, talent and media business, SECA Shanghai. Read more on Autosport (English) and ifeng (Chinese)

Shanxi Brave Dragons Announce New Title Sponsor Shanxi Fenjiu announced they will title sponsor the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) team Shanxi Brave Dragons for next three seasons for RMB40m. Read more on China News (Chinese)

In Other News:

A Focussed Approach Mailman CEO Andrew Collins’ Blog on ‘Why most companies will fail in China’s sports economy.’ Read in English and Chinese

AFC Women’s Player of the Year Chinese footballer Wang Shuang received the Women’s Player of the Year award at the AFC (Asia Football Confederation) Annual Awards 2018 in Muscat, Oman, on Nov 28. Wang Shuang, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in the Division 1 Féminine, claimed the award for the first time, following an impressive year at both club and international level. Read more on AFC (English) and Sina (Chinese)

Referee Representation Three referees from China will represent the country as match officials in the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in France in 2019. This marks the second World Cup for the Chinese trio, Qin Liang, Cui Yongmei and Fang Yan after the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada. Read more on China Daily (English) and People.cn (Chinese)

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