Greater Western Sydney Launch on Chinese Social Media

Congrats to Greater Western Sydney Giants for becoming the first Australian Football League team to get onto Chinese social media with Mailman Group. The Giants have launched an official account on Weibo, China’s leading social media platform, in a move that is part of GWS’ effort to broaden its appeal and expand into new markets.

“We know there are a large number of Chinese communities across Australia with over 125,000 Chinese people currently living in Sydney alone and we need to reflect the diverse community we live in,” said the GIANTS Chief Executive, David Matthews.

“Through Weibo hopefully we can introduce them to our game but also learn more about them and how we can grow the game.

“One of the greatest things about our game is it is inclusive and we want to be a club that is open to everyone and reaches out to new audiences and makes them feel welcome,” he said.

According to Mailman’s CEO, Andrew Collins, “Not only has China’s sports industry experienced huge growth recently, but also the the identity of the typical AFL fan has changed. That means there’s an opportunity to connect with Chinese both in China and those who have moved or traveled to Australia and are eager to embrace the culture. Launching on the most popular platform is the best way to engage with this community.”

Though China’s sports industry is experiencing huge growth, many teams and leagues are still slow to realize the potential of the China market. Interestingly, unlike sports social media development in the west, data drawn from Mailman’s technology arm, KAWO, finds that much of the push within the Chinese market appears to be driven by the leagues themselves rather than by individual teams, as is the case in European football.

This strategy has produced outstanding results for sports like the NBA, however, results have shown that the sports which created a group of official accounts have been most successful because not only is it easier for fans to keep track of, but also it demonstrates solidarity amongst all teams & players. With the GIANTS now on Chinese social media, a future is paved for the AFL in China.

To celebrate their launch, the GIANTS are giving away 10 double passes to its game against Melbourne at Spotless Stadium on Sunday, April 6. To enter the competition, follow the team on Weibo.