According to the UK’s Financial Times newspaper, the package includes rights to sponsorship, advertising, TV broadcast and website marketing in mainland China as well as intellectual property rights to leading players.
Tom.com said it would spend $5million (B5.67m) over three years to promote the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) through its 70 percent-owned subsidiary TCP Advertising and Starway Sport and Culture development.
Tom.com beat IMG subsidiary International Merchandising Corp to the deal, said the newspaper. IMG currently holds the rights to domestic soccer in China.
Tom.com said it had also signed a letter of intent with China Sports Industry Co to establish a joint venture aimed at securing “the commercial rights and management of TV broadcasting rights for all popular sports events in China” in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Tom.com, the media and advertising company controlled by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-Shing, has won the broadcast and advertising rights to China’s national basketball league, adding to its portfolio of Chinese volleyball, table tennis, rowing and college soccer rights.
