Asia Sports Business Weekly | 2nd August

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

?? Headlines: CMG and LaLiga sign MoC, MotoGP seals three-year deal for India race, Olympic Games Paris 2024 fever drives surge of Asia visitors, Alibaba’s cloud elevates Paris viewing experience for billions, Olympics meets fashion in Thailand, and Hearthstone to return to China.?

??? Key Industry News

China Media Group and LaLiga Sign MoC

The Chinese state-owned media company and LaLiga have agreed to further cooperation in professional exchanges, hosting tournaments, and promoting youth football programs. CMG president Shen Haixiong and LaLiga president Javier Tebas signed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC). Read more on CGTN?(English)

??Our Take: LaLiga recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its office opening in China, highlighting that the league has a long-term commitment and strategy for the region. The MoC with CMG, China’s most powerful media organization which owns multiple platforms including CCTV, is a further testament to the results and partnerships sports organizations can achieve in China with patience and commitment.?

MotoGP Seals New Three-year Deal for India Race

MotoGP has agreed with the government of Uttar Pradesh to return to the Indian region for three consecutive seasons starting next year. The deal was agreed with Invest UP, the government agency that facilitates international investment in the state. Read more on SportBusiness?(English)

??Our Take: This is great news for Indian fans who would have been worried about MotoGP ever returning to India after a chaotic debut last year. There were track safety issues ahead of the race and the race wasn't included in the 2024 calendar. But now, the MotoGP has signed a multi-year contract directly with the Uttar Pradesh government, which should help improve the experience for all fans and all stakeholders.

Olympics Fever Drives Surge of Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean Visitors to Paris

Sports fans from China and Japan are propelling their countries to the top of the list of travellers from Asia cheering the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The number of travellers from China and Japan showed some of the biggest increases globally to Paris during the July 24 to August 11 period covering the Olympics. Read more on SCMP?(English)

Fashion x Olympics: Thai Fashion Magazine Goes OOH Across Bangkok

Thai athletes graced the covers of famous fashion magazines ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This year, it was an impressive launch, with media company Plan B kicking off the event by putting the cover of a Thai sports magazine on OOH throughout Bangkok, along with the campaign 'What kind of Olympics?'. Read more on The Standard?(Thai)

?? Our Take: This is a historic moment for Thailand, as no media or sponsor has ever created such a wide array of campaigns for the Olympics before, especially regarding fashion with athletes. This has caused a buzz among the public, with many sharing and praising the campaigns on social media, leading to increased interest in the Olympic Games Paris 2024?among Thai people

Alibaba’s AI-powered Cloud Tech Brings The Olympics to Billions

Alibaba is replacing traditional satellites with AI technology to beam the Olympic Games Paris 2024?to billions of viewers in more than 200 countries. The company’s co-founder Joe Tsai said the historic move would change the way the Games were seen around the world. Read more on SCMP?(English)

Chinese Sports Fans Embrace 'Immersive' Viewing of Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Cinemas

China has introduced Olympic Games Paris 2024?content to the big screen for the first time, meaning fans can go to cinemas with friends and family members to cheer on Chinese athletes. The move aims to provide a new channel for the audience to appreciate the charm of Chinese athletes.?Read more on Global Times?(English)

Tiger Balm Joins Bayern’s Regional Partner Portfolio

The Bundesliga club has agreed on a regional sponsorship deal with Tiger Balm, the pain relief brand owned by Singaporean company Haw Par Healthcare. The four-year contract covers Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and mainland China. Read more on SportBusiness?(English)

Shanghai Kicks Off 2024 Motocross World Championship

Renowned as one of the World's Four Major Motorcycle Races alongside F1, MotoGP, and WRC, the 2024 Motocross World Championship (MXGP) Shanghai leg will kick off at the Shanghai International Off-road Circuit from Sept 14 to 16. Read more on China Daily?(English)

Thanks to Yiwu, ‘Made in China’ is Occupying the Olympic Games Paris 2024

Known as the world’s ‘largest small-commodity distribution centre’, Yiwu saw its total import and export value exceed $41.38bn for the first time in the first half of 2024. Among these, sporting goods and equipment exports reached $0.69bn, marking a 42.3% increase YoY. Read more on DAO?(English)

Hong Kong Retailers Hope to Strike Gold as Olympic Games Paris 2024?Boosts Business

Hong Kong shopping centres live-streaming the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?have said they expect a 15 percent sales boost over the course of the event compared with the same period last year as the city won its first gold medal. Read more on SCMP?(English)

Chinese Tech Firms Shine in Paris

Chinese tech companies are employing their cutting-edge cloud computing and artificial intelligence tools to enhance live broadcast experiences and athletes' performances at the ongoing Olympic Games Paris 2024, a move that experts said demonstrates China's growing technological prowess and independent innovation capabilities. Read more on China Daily?(English)

Antakids’ ‘Ling Loong Sports Ceremony’ Ignites Youth Sports Craze

Following the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Antakids, a children's sports brand of the Anta Group, launched the "Ling Loong Sports Ceremony'' in Nanjing, to promote sports among youth communities. Read more on China Daily?(English)

?? Opinion

From Weekend Surfers to Bikini Tans: Brands Ride China’s Water Sports Wave

Whether for relaxation or challenge, surfing and paddleboarding offer modern urban workers a sense of fulfillment and an escape from social and work pressures. Read more on Jing Daily?(English)

Winnin’ and Slimmin’: Anta and Heytea Launch Olympics Collaboration

With the Olympic Games Paris 2024?well underway, brands are continuing to launch their sports and Paris-related campaigns. Leading Chinese tea chain Heytea, who recently opened its first Paris branch announced on 26 July that it had partnered with Anta, maker of the winners’ uniform for the Chinese team for a new collab campaign. Read more on DAO?(English)

?? Esports

Hearthstone to Return to China

Hearthstone will officially return to Mainland China on Sept. 25 with Chinese distributor Thunder Fire Group, a game studio owned by Chinese game publisher NetEase. Thunder Fire Group will provide USD $138k of the $500K total prize money. Read more on The Esports Advocate?(English)

2024 ChinaJoy: Games Are No Longer the Sole Protagonist

ChinaJoy has been exhibiting several trends: Extended Reality (XR) and AI technology were popular, gaming companies were less present, but more mobile phone brands, internet brands, and even catering companies attended the show. Read more on DAO?(English)

NIP Group Completes First Chinese Esports IPO

NIP Group was officially listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “NIPG”. In this IPO, NIP Group issued 2.25m ADS (American Depositary Shares) at a price of $9 per ADS, raising a total of $20.25m. The successful listing of NIP Group marks the birth of the “First Chinese Esports Stock”. Read more on Pandaily?(English)

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