China
Features
Chinese football tackles salary reduction
Shen Jiang, senior associate at Jingtian & Gongcheng, and Luca Ferrari, partner and global head of sports at Withers, consider the legal issues around the player wage reductions now agreed by all Chinese Super league clubs
China’s sports industry starts to think beyond Covid-19
Andrew Collins, chief executive at Mailman, and Shoto Zhu, founder and president of Oceans Marketing, talk to SportBusiness Asia senior analyst, Kevin McCullagh, about how the Chinese sports industry is…
Sun Yang’s downfall highlights China’s failure to develop individual stars
When the Court of Arbitration for Sports handed an eight-year ban to the six-time Olympic medallist Sun Yang, the Chinese sport hierarchy lost its most valuable individual star. Zhang Dan reports.
CFA regulations create casualties on Chinese football clubs’ hard road to sustainability
The Chinese Football Association’s tough line on football club finances has cooled spending at the top level and is pushing lower-tier teams toward oblivion. Chen Yaolin reports.
Can Chinese viewership help the Tour de Langkawi to fiscal health?
Malaysia’s UCI-certified Tour de Langkawi has long struggled with raising enough revenue to cover costs, but a path to break even may lie through China. SportBusiness’ Asia editor Kelvin Tan reports.
Chinese Football Association disqualifies 11 teams
The Chinese Football Association has disqualified 11 teams from professional competition this year as part of its ongoing crackdown on financial mismanagement
Round-Up: NZ NBL’s streaming service, Singapore GP preparations start, McLaren cuts, and more
New Zealand's National Basketball League has launched a direct-to-consumer global streaming service that will allow viewers outside of the country to pay to watch coverage of the competition
US to lift entry ban on certain international athletes
Certain international athletes have been allowed to take part in sporting competition in the United States in the coming weeks amid the global Covid-19 pandemic
Chinese Super League reveals guidelines for restart
The Chinese Football Association has drawn up guidelines to counter the Covid-19 threat as it eyes a late June or early July restart for the 2020 season of the Chinese Super League
“We will not accept putting our content behind a paywall” | Jamie Lewin, Riot Games
Media rights are the fastest-growing revenue stream in esports – particularly in Asia – but, according to Riot Games’ head of strategic partnerships Jamie Lewin, they’re still a secondary target for game publishers. Kelvin Tan reports.
China’s sporting riches still out of reach for NFL
The NFL’s decision to pitch its marketing to Chinese sports fans in lifestyle terms doesn’t seem to be working yet, according to Chen Yaolin.
World Snooker Tour looks to global future with rebrand
The World Snooker Tour revealed a new corporate identity and name at the start of this year as it marked ten years of ownership by Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport. The rebrand is intended to see it towards another decade of international growth, with China, India and the Middle East on snooker's radar.
Chinese athletes to benefit as government heads off potential for endorsement disputes in Olympic year
Regulation has limited the extent to which China’s sporting stars can capitalise on their sporting prowess via commercial deals. But recent rule changes by the General Administration of Sports offers new possibilities. Chen Yaolin investigates.
Tax exemptions and increased demand drive 16-per-cent growth of Chinese winter sports economy
China’s winter sport industry is booming ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. But the pace of development has created challenges for the Chinese state, from environmental and real estate policy to a lack of technical nous.
A 2021 Club World Cup can deliver on both Chinese and Fifa ambitions
Why Fifa has chosen to host the 2021 Club World Cup in China, and how the competition is a step forward towards China's football ambitions. Zhang Dan reports.
Will 2020 mark a return to health for China’s sporting stocks?
A two-year IPO freeze has hit Chinese sport companies, with numbers down and Wanda Sports’ listing a high-profile disappointment. How did ‘IPO fever’ fade, and will things change in 2020? Chen Yaolin reports.
‘Team China’ brand sets high partnership price, targets $400m in quadrennial revenue
China’s General Administration of Sport has announced a new collective brand for all of China’s Olympic and Paralympic sports teams: "Team China". Zhang Dan investigates the new marketing initiative.
Beijing 2022: two years away but political and commercial challenges abound
The organisers of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have adopted a less-is-more approach to their domestic sponsorship programme. Zhang Dan reports on their progress in becoming the first city to host both the summer and winter Games.
What happens when Asia’s sporting legends retire?
The legends of Li Na, Kim Yuna and Lee Chong Wei have all retired and their absences leave gaping holes in their sports back home, one that sponsors and associations are keen to fill as quickly as possible.
Yao Ming’s CBA juggling act gets a boost from NBA travails
After the Morey tweets, sentiment in the Chinese basketball sponsorship marketplace has swung the CBA’s way, making it easier for its leadership to focus on raising the quality of its core product: the league. Chen Yaolin finds out more.
The real reason the CFA is letting the CSL fly free: money, of course
Chinese policy towards state ownership of sports leagues has performed a massive U-turn, with oversight of the Chinese Super League being passed to a private entity. SportBusiness looks at why, and what will happen next.
China’s vision for sport changes under new political and economic imperatives
The Chinese State Council’s September revision of the country’s sports strategy includes changes that will be critical to note for domestic and overseas sports industry players. Sports industry academic Daniel Zhang analysed the new plan for SportBusiness.
The NBA’s burnt bridges in China won’t be mended easily
Despite NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s best efforts, the wound from Daryl Morey’s pro-Hong Kong protest tweets will have lasting repercussions on the future of basketball in China, not least among fans and sponsors. Industry insiders in China tell SportBusiness about Chinese sentiment on the ground.
The Rise of eFootball in China – Andrew Collins, Mailman Group
As esports have exploded in China over the past decade, eFootball, now a category itself, is undergoing a meteoric rise in the mainland.
FIS goes digital-first in fan engagement push ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics
The International Ski Federation is ramping up its global engagement efforts as it builds towards Beijing 2022, with its secretary general, Sarah Lewis, describing China as “the biggest opportunity for winter sports in the last 50 years”. Adam Nelson reports on how FIS is using its digital strategy to encourage consumers to take to the slopes.
NHL leverages Ovechkin’s pulling power to expand footprint in China
In order to develop their presence in China, the NHL have sent Alexander Ovechkin on a one-man ambassadorial trip to Beijing this week. Bob Williams talks to David Proper, executive vice-president of media and international strategy, about how ice hockey's governing body is leveraging its players' star power.
Chinese mass participation growth a focus for Wanda after IPO
IPO prospectus for parent company of the Infront agency and Ironman triathlon operator reveals strategy to focus on mass participation in China and predictions for the growth of the Chinese sports sector.
Time to monetise | The football clubs turning Chinese engagement into revenues
Many European football clubs are aiming to convert their large Chinese fanbases into significant new revenue streams. However, they must adapt to this complex market in order to capitalise on its huge potential. Jonathan Dyson reports from Shanghai.