Asia Sports Business Weekly | 22nd March

Hello Industry Friends, here is the very latest news and insights from Asia.

?? Key Headlines: Youku lands ATP and WTA media rights, LA Dodgers compete in landmark MLB Seoul games, new sports majors boost China’s mass fitness push, Hisense sponsors China’s? King Pro League, and Chinese Olympic Committee signs MoU with IWGA.?

??? Key Industry News

ATP, WTA Tours Debut on Youku

Chinese tennis fans can now watch the ATP and WTA Tours on Youku, a leading Chinese video streaming platform. Youku has secured three-year agreements with both WTA Ventures, the commercial arm of the WTA, and ATP Media, the broadcast arm of the ATP Tour, which will see over 80 tournaments a year made available on its platforms between 2024 and 2026. Read more on ATP (English) and Weibo (Chinese)

?? Our Take: Tennis is on the up in China after a few troublesome years - young talent, high-level and lucrative tournaments, and more courts being built across the country all point to a bright future for the sport. Youku, which is better known for its Netflix-style entertainment content, has been very selective with which sports it acquires rights for in recent years. This deal proves the platform still has an appetite for sports, and landing these tennis rights may prove a shrewd move.?

LA Dodgers Extend with Korean Sponsor Ahead of Landmark Seoul Games

The MLB franchise extended its long-running sponsorship deal with South Korean beverages manufacturer HiteJinro, which was the first company in the Asian liquor industry to sign a sponsorship with the Dodgers back in 2012. Read more on SportBusiness (English)

?? Our Take: As K-culture and K-food are becoming more known globally, local brands have increased partnerships with foreign sports. Other examples would be Bibigo with the NBA team LA Lakers and Paris Baguette with European football team Paris Saint-Germain. Such partnerships have pushed the popularity of K-food, making it more known to the global audience. Thus, with Hite Jinro extending its contract with the LA Dodgers, we hope to see more of increase in awareness of not just to the brand, but to K-food and K-culture in general.

New Sports Majors to Boost Mass Fitness

Football, equestrian sports and management, and sports health and wellness are among the 24 newly approved majors that will be open for Chinese undergraduate admission in 2024, according to an update released by China's Ministry of Education. Read more on Global Times (English) and People.cn (Chinese)

?? Our Take: These are further signs which highlight China’s ambition to become a sporting powerhouse in the future, as well as creating a fitter and healthier population, but it won’t happen overnight. Educating future generations on the importance of health and fitness is one of the biggest steps yet into getting closer to achieving the country’s mass fitness goals.

Indonesia National Team Launches New Jersey

Indonesia NT officially launched the new jerseys with their new sponsor, Erspo, a local brand. This is the first product in their five-year deal with Erspo. Before it was officially launched, the latest jersey design was leaked and attracted criticism. However, after it was officially displayed and showed the entire design with all the details and qualities, it received a lot of praise. Read more on Void (English)

?? Our Take: This is the first time the Indonesia NT jersey went viral and became a public discussion. Even though it started with criticism, this was an unexpectedly great way for Erspo & NT to get maximum exposure, because it ended positively when launched. Almost everyone is discussing this jersey, including big local influencers. Because of this, sales are predicted to be massive and this could become a benchmark for local sports brands to compete against.

Zhangjiakou Puts Olympic Venues to Good Use, Reaching Financial Stability

Hebei province's utilization of the 2022 Winter Olympics venues in Zhangjiakou got off to a good start last year, reaching an operational balance of income and expenditure, according to the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports. Read more on China Daily (English) and Chinanews (Chinese)

Oppo Exits Roland Garros Sponsorship Amid French Market Retreat

Oppo has ceased being a tennis grand slam sponsor after exiting its agreement with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) for Roland Garros. Read more on SportBusiness (English)?

Dream Stadium Project Improves Public Space for Children and Sports

SC Asset joined with Thinkcurve Company to build a football field project for youth in a degraded area of Bangkok, so that children There is a football field to play on every day, with the theme of Captain Tsubasa. From a properly licensed image of Yōichi Takahashi. Read more on The Standard (Thai)

?? Our Take: An interesting story of marketing that is tied to the area of Bangkok, reaching out to degraded areas, as well as being a good CSR activity. SC Asset, Thailand's leader in construction materials, and Thinkcurve (Thailand's online sports media) are joining forces to build stadiums in four locations throughout Bangkok. This is the second season of them doing good things for society, gaining interest from many partners in children's and sports products.

Chinese Olympic Committee Signs MoU With IWGA

The International World Games Association and the Chinese Olympic Committee have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote sports and disciplines that appear on the World Games programme. The 12th edition of The World Games will be held in Chengdu, China, from 7 to 17 August 2025. Read more on Inside The Games (English)

Sales Boom for Outdoor Sports Gear

Outdoor sports equipment related to camping, running, cycling and hiking has become popular among Chinese consumers with the arrival of warmer weather, according to Alibaba’s Tmall. Chinese residents are attaching greater importance to healthy lifestyles, and are willing to go outdoors, take in the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful springtime scenery, Tmall said. Read more on China Daily (English) and Xfrb (Chinese)

Survey Reveals Red and Douyin Are Priority Growth Channels for Chinese Brands

Digital agency Totem surveyed marketing leaders from 90 brands on their advertising plans for 2024. Most of these cross-section brands are global ranging from large to medium sized, with 80% having over ten years of experience in China. Read more on Campaign Asia (English)

?? Esports

Hisense Group Sponsors China’s King Pro League?

The Chinese multinational appliance and electronics manufacturer announced a sponsorship deal with China’s top Honor of Kings competition - the King Pro League (KPL), becoming one of its official partners alongside apparel brand such as? PUMA, Snapdragon, Volkswagen, Clear, Meituan, Snow Beer, and Castrol. Read more on The Esports Advocate (English) and Xinhua (Chinese)

Ninjas in Pyjamas Partners with BYD

The partnership is an extension of both entities’ China-exclusive deal which saw the car brand support NIP to help ‘connect diverse communities that share a passion for innovation and esports’. The new deal will see NIP and BYD collaborate on a variety of initiatives, activations and experiences for fans worldwide. Exact details have yet to be revealed. Read more on Esports Insider (English) and Baijiahao (Chinese)

?? Opinion

What Asia’s Lifestyle and Luxury Consumers Want in 2024

The Bluebell Group’s “Asia Lifestyle Consumer Profile 2024” report examines the evolving dynamics of lifestyle consumption across Asia’s most vibrant consumer markets. Read more on Jing Daily (English)

Let's Get Phygital: This is How the Chinese Sports Market Ticks

Sports and outdoor brands are entering a new phase of retail. "Phygital" is the buzzword of the moment. This means that physical stores are still an important part of the sales strategy, but it is the "digital first" mindset that is really boosting sales. Where is this particularly true? In China, where e-commerce even has its own public holidays. Read more on ISPO (English)

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