Here are the top China sports business news stories you need to know from this week:
Ganten Joins China Open 2017 Platinum Partner Family
On 5th May, China Open announced that Chinese drinking water brand Ganten will join their sponsor portfolio from 2017. Ganten has a history of being active in sports marketing. Positioning itself a premier drinking water brand, Ganten sponsored prestigious sports properties including CBA, CSL, Longines Beijing Masters, Australia Open and Shanghai Masters. Read more here
Bundesliga Wins Over Chinese Football Fans with ‘Dream Campaign’
Bundesliga recently launched their ‘Dream Campaign’ on Weibo, inviting Chinese fans to submit their ultimate German football dreams. The campaign attracted over 50,000 responses and more than 20 million social views. It was the most participated-in campaign by any football organisation in China. The campaign is part of Bundesliga’s ongoing strategy to reach 500 million football fans on Weibo. Read more here
China Deny Submitting Official Bid for 2034 FIFA World Cup
On 8th May, Chinese football official Zhang Jian was appointed to the FIFA Council at the 27th AFC Congress 2017 in Manama, Bahrain. This result was widely regarded in China as a signal that China will bid for 2030 or 2034 World Cup. However, the Chinese Football Association immediately denied submitting an official bid for a specific World Cup after the news sweeping social media around the country. Read more on here
Former AS Roma Sporting Director Joins Chinese Football Club Jiangsu Suning
On 10th May, former AS Roma Sporting Director, Walter Sabatini, was appointed by the Suning Sports Group as joint technical coordinator for their Chinese Super League team Jiangsu Suning. The 62-year-old, who has also worked with Lazio and Palermo, will be in charge of development work, including planning for players and coaches, international scouting and medical systems. Upon leaving Roma last year, Sabatini joined Inter Milan, also owned by the Suning Commerce Group, and now he will be playing two roles for the company. Read more here
Chinese Super League to Start VR Broadcasting in 2017/18 Season
On 6th May, virtual reality technology was first introduced to a CSL game. The programme was produced by China Sports Media, WhaleyVRLive and Flycat TV. The VR technology will be used in the following CSL season, this could be another opportunity for paid views in China’s sports broadcasting. Read more here
Titan Media Initiated China Golden Ball Award Voting
On 12th May, Titanic Media Group initiated China Ballon d’Or Award. The award is to honour the native Chinese male player deemed to have performed the best over the previous year. The voting committee is made up of senior experts and journalists from Xinhua News Agency, Titan and other leading media groups. The result will be announced in late August. Read more here
Dongqiudi Crowdfunding Reaches RMB 90,000 in 18 Minutes to Support Wenger
On 11th May, Dongqiudi, a Chinese football information and social site, launched a fundraising social campaign called “Show Respect to Wenger”. The goal of the campaign was to raise RMB 90K, which will be used to purchase 1-minute stadium billboard advert to show respect and appreciation to legendary Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger prior to Arsenal’s season finale this Sunday. In the end, Dongqiudi raised over RMB 90,000 in only 18 minutes. Read more here
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