Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week:
NBA and Alibaba Extend China Partnership The National Basketball Association (NBA) China and Alibaba Group have announced an expansion of their partnership to deliver NBA content on Alibaba’s platforms for the first time. This will also include an enhanced online shopping experience for consumers in China. The launch of an “NBA Section” across Alibaba’s platforms will leverage Alibaba’s technology and consumer insights, allowing fans to enjoy more personalised and engaging content, in addition to shopping for NBA merchandise all within one ecosystem. Read more on the NBA in English and Chinese
Mailman Take: This partnership will bring NBA content to Alibaba’s platforms for the first time. Fans will now be able to watch game highlights, original programmes and classic NBA games, as well as shopping for NBA merchandise on Taobao and Tmall – where the NBA opened its official store in 2012 – all at the same time. With Alibaba Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai a minority partner of Brooklyn Nets, we can expect the collaboration between the two organisations to become even deeper in future.
Spanish Teams Grow on China Social 20 sides from both LaLiga and LaLiga 2 and 3 are set to provide localised content on Weibo, China’s biggest social media platform. For the first time, LaLiga will generate content and directly manage the Weibo accounts of the selected clubs. It will also provide content strategy and community management to all clubs seeking to broaden their presence in the Asian market. Read more on LaLiga (English) and Sohu Sports (Chinese)
Kelme Becomes China League One Official Equipment Supplier Spanish sportswear company Kelme has reached an agreement to become the official equipment supplier for China League One. The 4-year deal will see the brand provide the official match ball for all China League One games, as well as all refereeing and official league equipment. Read more on Ecosports (Chinese)
Mailman Take: The deal sees Kelme make further inroads into the football business landscape in China, with the brand already the official kit supplier for 10 of the 16 current China League One teams, as well as the entire China Women’s Super League. The sportswear manufacturer recently witnessed a significant surge in Chinese retail business following the transfer of Wu Lei to Espanyol, selling over 10,000 replica player jerseys and more than 2,000 items of club merchandise in the wake of the player’s move.
JCGC Agrees Strategic Cooperation with FIA in China The International Automobile Sports Federation (FIA) and Jiacheng Jingwei (JCGC) have officially signed a three-year exclusive cooperation agreement. The deal covers the period 2019-2021, seeing both sides cooperating in event promotion, brand marketing and cultural promotion. Read more on Sports Money (Chinese)
In Other News:
Ning Zetao Retires China’s world champion swimmer Ning Zetao has announced his retirement at the age of 26. Ning, one of the country’s top freestyle swimmers, fell out of favour after underperforming at the 2016 Rio Olympics and pulled out of many world and domestic events due to medical treatment and commercial reasons. Read more on China Daily (English) and Tencent Sports (Chinese) —
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