China

Further ticket problem for Beijing Olympics - 7 May 08

Ticket sales for the Beijing Olympics have once again encountered severe problems, despite assurances from organisers that the online system had been repaired. Problems last year led to the dismissal of the ticket centre's director.

IOC toughens Olympic Charter - 7 May 08

The International Olympic Committee toughened its interpretation of the Olympic Charter, informing potential Beijing Games athletes that their actions, reactions and attitudes will be scrutinised at the coming Olympics.

Federer and Mercedes sign China partnership - 30 Apr 08

Mercedes-Benz China have entered into a multi-year advertising and strategic marketing partnership with Roger Federer.

Olympic sponsors win high interest in China - 29 Apr 08

Average worldwide interest in the Olympic Games is at 52 per cent according to a new survey from SPORT+MARKT and unprompted awareness of Olympic Sponsors in China shows high interest and good results, especially for international brands.

Emirates renews sponsorship of BMW Asian Open - 24 Apr 08

Emirates Airline agreed a deal to become the Official Airline of the BMW Asian Open 2008 golf tournament - the fifth year in succession that the company has been a sponsorship partner of the event.

Human rights campaigns target Beijing sponsors - 23 Apr 08

Campaigners against Chinese rule in Tibet, and Chinese arms trading in Africa have warned sponsors of the Beijing Olympics they risk damaging their brands by endorsing the Games.

Rogge calls for ‘peaceful resolution in Tibet’ - 7 Apr 08

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has called ‘for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet’ following the protests that blighted the London leg of the Beijing 2008 torch relay.

IOC liaises with China on political issues - 25 Mar 08

IOC president Jacque Rogge commented on China's political situation before protests by pro-Tibetan and press freedom activists disrupted the launch of the Beijing 2008 Touch Relay, which was lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece on Sunday.

China opens up Beijing 08 online ad market - 20 Mar 08

China’s national broadcaster CCTV.com has awarded Video networking company, ViDeOnline Communications, the exclusive rights to package and create video advertisement partnerships for online video streaming broadcasts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games via live and VOD (Video On Demand) channels on CCTV’s online service.

Du-Bang signs up for Chinese women’s football - 12 Mar 08

The Infront Sports & Media agency signed Du-Bang Insurance as an Official Partner of the Chinese women’s national football Team.

SPORTELAsia 2008 succeeds in Shanghai - 6 Mar 08

A total of 594 participants, representing 304 companies from 46 countries worldwide, attended this week’s SPORTELAsia 2008 at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai, China.

CCTV agrees internet partnerships - 28 Feb 08

State-run national broadcaster, China Central Television, agreed partnerships with social networking site MySpace China and online-video site Tudou.com to run an interactive website for the Beijing Olympics.

Bush backs Beijing Games after political row - 15 Feb 08

US President George W Bush has said that he will attend the Beijing 2008 Olympics as a political row over China’s role in the Sudan continues to impact on Beijing's preparations for the Summer Olympics.

Tickets.com to enter Chinese market - 30 Jan 08

Event ticketing solutions company Tickets.com and China Sports Industry International agreed a joint-venture to provide ticketing and ticketing-related services for sports and associated markets in China.

Infront signs CBA mobile website agreement - 15 Jan 08

Infront, the exclusive commercial partner to the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and internet operator KongZhong Corporation, have signed a multi-year cooperation agreement and launched the official CBA mobile website.

UEFA signs off major new Euro 2008 deals - 8 Jan 08

UEFA finalised four major contracts for media rights in China and Japan for UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

Beijing 2008 could bring in first live one billion audience - 7 Jan 08

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing this year could become the first sporting event to attract a record total live audience of one billion, according to a report by global media communications agency Initiative Sports Futures.

CCTV awarded Beijing 2008 digital media rights - 19 Dec 07

The International Olympic Committee awarded the digital broadcast rights for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to CCTV.com, the online arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Lenovo will not renew Olympic contract - 5 Dec 07

Lenovo Group, said it will not renew its sponsorship contract with the International Olympic Committee after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Samsung Electronics to sponsor 2008 Beijing Paralympics - 26 Nov 07

Samsung Electronics said it has signed a sponsorship deal with the Chinese government to provide technical support for mobile communications during next year’s Paralympics.

CCTV to bring in $10.7 billion in ad spend for Olympic year - 20 Nov 07

CCTV, the Chinese state-broadcaster, will bring in 80 billion yuan ($10.7 billion) worth of advertising for 2008, when it hosts the Olympic Games.

Sohu.com and PremierGoals launch new English football website - 15 Nov 07

Sohu.com and PremierGoals Ltd., the official Chinese content provider for English football, launched a Chinese-language website for 16 English football clubs, on a new Chinese football community site.

ASK-TongFang wins Beijing contactless ticket contract - 14 Nov 07

ASK-TongFang has been selected to manufacture the contactless inlays for the 12.2 million RFID tickets for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Sportfive and IEC in Sports launch the Transorientale - 13 Nov 07

Sportfive and IEC in Sports launched the Transorientale, a 10,000 kilometre, 17-day rally.

Mediaset signs up with Chinese network - 2 Nov 07

Italian broadcast group Mediaset has reportedly reached a three-year agreement with the CGM Sport Channel.

Action Sports Tour to debut in China - 30 Oct 07

The AST (Action Sports Tour) has launched it international expansion effort with the creation of an AST China event, a global skateboarding competition scheduled for Beijing in April 2008.

Environmental groups make Beijing 2008 presentations - 29 Oct 07

Environmental groups, like Greenpeace and the WWF, have made presentations to the seventh World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Beijing, China.

IOC Commission to visit Beijing - 19 Oct 07

The IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will visit the Chinese capital for the ninth - and penultimate - time next week.

Beijing 2008 set to break TV advertising records - 3 Oct 07

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will take TV advertising spend to $182.4 billion next year, up from $169.9 billion this year, according to ZenithOptimedia.

MP & Silva acquires Barclays Premier League new media rights - 2 Oct 07

The MP & Silva agency agreed a three-year deal with Singapore-based sports agency, Nimbus Sport International, for new media rights to the Barclays Premier League, for the 2007-08 to 2009-10 seasons.

Euroleague Basketball in Shanghai talks - 1 Oct 07

Following in the footsteps of the NBA, executives from Euroleague Basketball have met with city and sporting officials from Shanghai to forge sporting and business ties.

NBA seeks management role in Chinese basketball - 27 Sep 07

The NBA wants to take a role in the management of the Chinese Basketball League, according to a leading NBA official.

Olympic torch won't go through Taiwan - 21 Sep 07

The Beijing 2008 Olympic torch relay will no longer go through Taiwan after negotiations between Taiwanese and Chinese officials broke down.

NBA names Tim Chen CEO of NBA China - 19 Sep 07

The NBA has named Tim Chen, CEO of Microsoft Greater China, as CEO of NBA China - a new enterprise being created to encapsulate all of the league’s businesses in Greater China.

IEC extends badminton portfolio with CTBA deal - 7 Sep 07

The Chinese Taipei Badminton Association has appointed IEC in Sports as exclusive co-ordinators for its international TV rights.

Over 200 territories gear up for FIFA Women’s World Cup - 6 Sep 07

The fifth FIFA Women’s World Cup is expected to reach new heights in global TV viewership and will be covered in over 200 territories across all confederations.

FIFA offers live online coverage of Women’s World Cup - 5 Sep 07

FIFA will offer live webcasts of all 32 matches of the 2007 Women’s World Cup through FIFA.com TV, a free interactive service from its official website.

AIR OF CHANGE BLOWS OVER BEIJING - 22 Aug 07

Efforts by Beijing city chiefs to cut down levels of pollution in a bid to ease IOC concerns appear to have been successful.

SINA WINS ONLINE RIGHTS FOR EUROPEAN SOCCER - 13 Aug 07

SINA Corporation acquired the online broadcasting rights for China for English Premier League and Italian Serie A football matches.

IAAF COMPLETES TV SALES FOR OSAKA 2007 - 10 Aug 07

The IAAF completed sales for the TV rights for its World Championships in Athletics, which open on 25 August in Osaka Japan.

WARNINGS OVER BEIJING AIR QUALITY - 9 Aug 07

IOC President Jacques Rogge recognised that Beijing's air pollution could force the delay or postponement of some outdoor endurance events during the 2008 Olympic Games.

SPORTSWORLD WINS BEIJING 2008 TOUR CONTRACT - 1 Aug 07

Sportsworld has been appointed by the British Olympic Association and 17 other National Olympic Committees around the world as an Official Ticket and Tour Operator for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

PORTSMOUTH SIGNS DEAL WITH PREMIERGOALS - 30 Jul 07

Premier League club Portsmouth agreed a deal with PremierGoals for the club’s mobile and internet rights in China.

RED BULL FLIES HIGH AS IMG MEDIA SELLS AIR RACES TO CHINA - 27 Jul 07

IMG Media sold the Red Bull Air Races to China’s CCTV-5, furthering the sport’s reach by 200 million households.

CHINA MOBILE PLANS BID FOR 2008 OLYMPICS MOBILE TV RIGHTS - 18 Jul 07

China’s leading mobile services provider, China Mobile plans to bid for the mobile TV rights of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to reports.

2007 WNBA ALL-STAR TO BE TELEVISED IN 198 COUNTRIES - 16 Jul 07

The 2007 WNBA All-Star Game, which will showcase the most talented female basketball players from around the world, will be televised in 198 countries with commentary in 30 languages.

CHINA CONFIRMED AS VOLVO OCEAN RACE STOPOVER - 12 Jul 07

The port city of Qingdao was tofficially confirmed as the China stopover for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race with the signing of an agreement between race organisers and the Qingdao Municipal Government.

YANKEES FIRST MLB CLUB TO GET CHINESE SPONSOR - 26 Jun 07

The New York Yankees signed a sponsorship deal with Chinese dairy company Yili, making it the first Major League Baseball club to sign a sponsorship deal with a Chinese company.

INFRONT AND EXCEL SPORTS FORM BASKETBALL REPRESENTATION PARTNERSHIP - 20 Jun 07

Infront Sports & Media agreed a a joint-venture deal with Excel Sports Management, to develop an athlete representation basketball business in China.

INFRONT SIGNS PEARL RIVER AS THE OFFICIAL BEER OF TEAM CHINA BASKETBALL - 4 Jun 07

Infront Sports & Media agreed a new commercial partnership for China’s national basketball team with The Pearl River Brewery.

UEFA SETS UP CHINESE WEBSITE - 23 May 07

UEFA has launched of a Mandarin-language version of uefa.com, produced by UEFA Media Technologies in partnership with sina.com.

LI-NING SIGNS ASIAN INDOOR SPONSORSHIP - 14 May 07

Li-Ning, China’s leading sporting apparel firm, has become an Official Sponsor and exclusive Sportswear Apparel Sponsor of the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in Macau, China.

NFL AGREES CHINESE MEDIA DEAL - 3 May 07

The NFL has cut a deal to increase awareness of the league in China by making Titan Media the country’s official sports media partner of the NFL.

NBA OF CHINA EDGES EVER CLOSER - 1 May 07

David Stern says he is close to confirming an NBA sponsored and branded league in China.

COCA-COLA RENEWS OLYMPIC TORCH SPONSORSHIP - 27 Apr 07

Coca-Cola agreed a deal to sponsor the Olympic Torch Relay for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

PWC CHINA BECOMES BEIJING 2008 ACCOUNTING SERVICES SUPPLIER - 27 Apr 07

Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian CPAs Limited Company (PwC) as the accounting services supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

BOCOG, FIBA AND NBA FORM OLYMPIC COOPERATION - 26 Apr 07

The Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee (BOCOG) FIBA and the NBA formed a joint cooperation to develop and execute all aspects of Olympic sports presentation for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

BEIJING FACES SIGNIFICANT AMBUSH MARKETING THREAT - 23 Apr 07

Ambush marketing activity from non-Olympic sponsors is set to be a significant issue for the Beijing Olympic organisers, according to research from Beijing-based consultancy R3 and CSM.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE TO SAIL TO CHINA IN 2009 - 20 Apr 07

Sailing’s Volvo Ocean Race will visit China, stopping in two cities, in early 2009 along a new route that will include stopovers in the middle-east, India and Asia.

BEIJING TO PUT OLYMPIC VENUE NAMING RIGHTS ON MARKET - 10 Apr 07

China officials say they will put the naming rights of the 91,000-seater Olympic stadium in Beijing up for sale once the closing ceremony of the 2008 Games takes place.

ASIAN INDOOR GAMES FLY HIGH WITH NEW SPONSOR - 5 Apr 07

Air Macau has signed a sponsorship deal to become the official sponsor and airline of the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in Macau, China.

BEIJING BOSSES REDUCE SECURITY COSTS - 5 Apr 07

Organisers of the Beijing Olympic Games next year say the event will be trouble free – despite spending less on security than previous Games.

NFL CANCELS CHINA GAME PLANS - 3 Apr 07

The NFL called off its planned pre-season exhibition game between Seattle Seahawks and New England that was scheduled to take place in August in Beijing's Workers Stadium.

NBA CHINA GAMES SET FOR OCTOBER - 30 Mar 07

It has been confirmed the NBA China Games will return in October.

SHANGHAI CONFIRMED AS ATP MASTERS SERIES EVENT FROM 2009 - 28 Mar 07

The ATP Board approved Shanghai as the host of the ATP’s Asian Masters Series tournament, starting in 2009.

IOC LAUNCHES TENDER FOR INTERNET AND MOBILE RIGHTS IN CHINA - 23 Mar 07

The International Olympic Committee launched the tender process for the sale of its internet and mobile rights for the territory of China for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

KIA MOTORS SIGNS UP TO SPONSOR OF CHINA’S FOOTBALL TEAMS - 21 Mar 07

Korea’s Kia Motors agreed a deal to become the official automotive partner of the Chinese men’s and women’s national football teams in a deal brokered by the Infront agency.

BEIJING TO HOST TOURNAMENT - 15 Mar 07

The first fruits of a marketing partnership deal between Euroleague Basketball and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will be a new tournament in Beijing in October.

IAAF AGREES TV DEALS IN ASIA/PACIFIC REGION - 6 Mar 07

The IAAF agreed three new broadcasting deals in the Asia/Pacific region, following negotiations handled by the Japanese corporation Dentsu Inc, its exclusive worldwide partner for the exploitation of commercial rights for the World Athletic Series.

CHINA HALTS DISTRIBUTION OF ESPN, STAR SPORTS CHANNELS - 2 Mar 07

Cable sports channels ESPN and News Corp's Star Sports have reportedly been removed from a list of foreign broadcasters that can be distributed to hotels and upscale housing compounds in China.

MEDIA PARTNERS & SILVA AWARD SERIE A TV RIGHTS IN ASIA - 26 Feb 07

Media Partners & Silva and Dentsu announced the assignment of Italian Serie A media rights for the seasons 2007-2010 in Hong Kong, China P.R. Macau, Vietnam and South Korea.

NBA ALL-STAR GAME BROADCAST BY A RECORD 110 TV PARTNERS - 16 Feb 07

The NBA said its All-Star Game in Vegas will reach 215 countries in 43 languages through a record 110 broadcast partners.

TAYLORMADE-ADIDAS SIGNS UP CHINESE GOLF - 14 Feb 07

The China Golf Association and TaylorMade-adidas Golf (TMaG) agreed a new deal under which the manufacturer will supply China's national golf teams.

USOC UNVEILS CHINA TRAINING CENTRE - 13 Feb 07

The US Olympic Committee has confirmed it is to spend $500,000 on establishing a training centre in China ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

HUGE RESPONSE FOR VOLUNTEERS IN BEIJING - 6 Feb 07

Organisers of the Beijing Olympic Games say they have been deluged by applications to act as volunteers during the 2008 event.

YANKEES IN CHINESE PARTNERSHIP - 31 Jan 07

Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees has agreed a strategic alliance with the Chinese Baseball Association.

OMEGA TITLE SPONSORS GOLF’S WORLD CUP - 30 Jan 07

Omega further extended its involvement in golf with a deal to become title sponsor of the Mission Hills World Cup.

ROAD TO BEIJING TAKEN BY 20 GLOBAL BROADCASTERS - 26 Jan 07

More than 20 broadcasters from around the world have already signed up the TV show Road to Beijing.

MP3 BRAND SIGNS MCLAREN SPONSORSHIP - 13 Dec 06

Formula One team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has signed a major sponsorship deal with MP3 and MP4 player brand Aigo.

INFRONT BROKERS CBA AND EUROLEAGUE PARTNERSHIP - 12 Dec 06

Infront, Euroleague Basketball and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) have reached a partnership agreement to bring the best of European professional basketball to fans in Asia.

SINA SIGNS WITH CHELSEA IN CHINESE WEB DEAL - 29 Nov 06

Chelsea Football Club and SINA today agreed a partnership to create a Chinese language website for the English Premier League champions.

UK SOCCER WEBSITE LAUNCHES IN MANDARIN - 23 Nov 06

International media content provider Global Broadcast Networks (GBN), and China National Radio's web portal CNR.CN said they would launch a new dedicated UK football website in Mandarin.

TSA APPOINTS MANAGING DIRECTOR TO CHINA OFFICE - 22 Nov 06

Total Sports Asia - Asia’s leading sports marketing agency announced the appointment of Chai Peng, TSA China’s new Managing Director. Chai Peng will oversee TSA’s operations in China and will be responsible for the division’s overall performance.

RED BULL SIGNS UP NANSHAN OPEN - 22 Nov 06

The Nanshan Open, the first snowboard contest in China, added Red Bull as the Open’s title sponsor. Red Bull joins an impressive roster of returning and founding sponsors from previous years.

MLB CONSIDERS CHINA IN 2008 - 17 Nov 06

The MLB said that it was considering opening the 2008 MLB season in China, ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TSE CONSULTING AND CHINESE SPORTS INDUSTRY GROUP - 8 Nov 06

TSE Consulting and the Chinese Sports Industry Group (CSI) established a strategic partnership.

NBA ADDS RECORD 24 BROADCAST PARTNERS - 2 Nov 06

The National Basketball Association added 24 broadcasters, including 19 in Greater China, for the 2006-07 season, marking the largest season to season growth in league history.

2008 OLYMPICS CHANGES EVENTS FOR US TV - 30 Oct 06

The International Olympic Committee switched several events finals, including swimming and most gymnastics, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the morning in order to suit US broadcaster NBC’s scheduling.

CHINESE CONSUMERS MORE ATTRACTED TO GAMES SPONSORS - 30 Oct 06

According to a recent study commissioned by WPP Group, Chinese sports fans have greater affinity with Olympic sponsors.

SPORTACCORD 2007 ANTICIPATES EARLY SELL-OUT - 30 Oct 06

An early sell-out is expected for the 2007 edition of SportAccord, be held on 23-27th April 2007 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing, with the Beijing 2008 Organising Committee confirmed as event hosts.

IOC SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS IN BEIJING - 26 Oct 06

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge urged the organisers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics not to lose focus ahead of the 2008 Olympics and received reassurances from Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of the Chinese government's support for the Games.

IOC HITS BACK AT OVER-COMMERCIALISATION CRITICISM - 24 Oct 06

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee hit back at criticism from some quarters that the Olympic Games are getting over-commercialised.

CHINESE BASKETBALL’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE SPONSORSHIP DEAL TO DATE - 23 Oct 06

Infront Sports & Media and the Chinese Basketball Association signed a groundbreaking sponsorship agreement with China Mobile Communications Corporation (China Mobile/CMCC) for basketball in China.

COKE ADDS FIZZ TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS - 19 Oct 06

Coca-Cola has extended its global sponsorship of the Special Olympics to cover next year’s World Summer Games in Shanghai.

LEE JOINS BEIJING CREATIVE PANEL - 18 Oct 06

Academy Award winning Hollywood movie director Ang Lee has become the latest high profile name to become a consultant for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

SOCOG SENIOR EXECUTIVES TO SPEAK AT C-ZONE BEIJING - 11 Oct 06

Arriving at C-Zone Beijing on November 1, delegates and VIPs alike will find themselves in direct view of the 2008 Olympic Stadium. Today a construction site, in less than two years it will grip the world’s attention.

INTER.IT IN CHINESE WITH SINA - 6 Oct 06

Italian Serie A club Internazionale signed an exclusive partnership with leading Chinese portal Sina to establish, host, develop and promote a Mandarin Chinese-language version of its official website.

CHINA TO HOST GOLF WORLD CUP IN 2007 AND 2008 - 27 Sep 06

The International Federation of PGA Tours announced that Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China will stage the WGC World Cup in 2007 and 2008.

IEC TAKES ON THE NEW SUPER SERIES IN BADMINTON - 25 Sep 06

The International Badminton Federation announced the launch of the Super Series starting 2007.

SLAM DUNK BY IEC IN CHINA - 22 Sep 06

IEC in Sports, the Sweden-based agency, has been appointed to market and distribute the worldwide TV rights for basketball’s 2007 FIBA Stankovic Continental Champions Cup.