THE NBA RED CARD 2019 REPORT REVEALS THE MOST POPULAR NBA TEAMS, CURRENT PLAYERS, AND LEGENDS ONLINE IN CHINA
For the third year in a row, Mailman has produced a comprehensive analysis on the digital performance of NBA teams, players, and legends online in China.
The NBA Red Card report analyses the influence of the National Basketball Association (NBA) online in China. The NBA Red Card follows the globally-recognised Red Card report, the industry standard for ranking European football organisations’ online performance in China.
The Winners:
Golden State Warriors retain title as #1 team online
Jeremy Lin most popular current basketball player
Kobe Bryant is the #1 NBA Legend
The NBA Red Card 2019 report measures the influence of the NBA teams and players online in China across 6 different metrics. Outside of this, the report also undertakes a case study of NBA teams China Strategy and how dedication to the market impact popularity.
Top Five Teams:
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
LA Lakers
Toronto Raptors
Boston Celtics
NBA teams online are stronger than ever in China. This past season, NBA teams gained a cumulative 47 million new followers, around 2x more than last season. Despite the total growth, there is a clearly-established top tier through the 'Big 3': the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers all scored significantly higher than the rest of the teams across all digital metrics.
Top 5 Current Basketball Stars:
Jeremy Lin
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Russell Westbrook
Chris Paul
For the second consecutive year, Jeremy Lin is the most popular NBA player in China. He is the most followed basketball star online with a combined 12.5 million followers on Weibo and Douyin, as well as having the highest average engagement. Many argue globally that ‘Linsanity’ is over, however, the data shows it still lives on strongly in China.
Top 5 Legends:
Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
Stephon Marbury
Tracy McGrady
Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant has most followed Weibo account of any basketball player online in China, surpassing NBA Red Card winner Jeremy Lin.
Andrew Collins, CEO of Mailman: “The NBA is doing a great job in China to grow the sport from the grassroots and in the communities. Teams and players are taking back control and establishing an online presence, while the recent sponsorship opening announcement will give teams more autonomy from the league. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Red Card and to all the stakeholders helping to deliver value to China’s basketball economy”.
Report Methodology
The NBA teams, players and legends were assessed across the following metrics:
Weibo followers
Weibo follower growth
Weibo engagement
Douyin followers
Douyin engagement
Toutiao followers
The full methodology is available upon request.
The full report can be downloaded here
About Mailman
Mailman is a global sports digital marketing agency and consultancy. We have a team of 200+ experts helping global organisations, rights holders, athletes, and brands build a successful business across China, Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia.
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Contact Information:
Denis Green
+86 16602182243