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BEIJING: Statistics show that only 30 per cent of China's population play sports regularly. Still, that is a market of 400 million Chinese, and it is one which many businesses are eyeing.
As a main sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, United Parcel Service (UPS) had a field day when the event was reportedly seen by 96 per cent of Chinese families.
To keep up its profile in the country, the American package delivery company recently renewed its sponsorship for the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The CBA League is the most watched sports league in China, with 600 million cumulative TV viewers.
Chris Grubb, vice-president of UPS (Asia Pacific Region), said: "We have a ten-fold increase as a result of our partnership with the Olympics in Beijing as well as CBA and so forth. So those are the types of things that lead to more revenue for UPS."
According to some estimates, the sports industry in China is worth US$25 billion. Sounds impressive? Now, compare that with the US - which has less than a quarter of China's population and a sports industry worth US$225 million.
It shows that the Chinese market has a lot of room for growth. But for a country which is long accustomed to communist governance, the idea of sports marketing is a whole new ball game altogether.
Terry Rhoads, managing director of Zou Marketing, said: "The Chinese government's control of the sports industry... it helps and it hinders the overall industry. It helps in the sense that it's easier for China to produce world-class athletes. It hinders because a free market will really allow the industry to grow at a much faster and steadier rate."
With the huge potential for growth, Chinese veteran sports journalist Ma Guoli decided to take a shot at the new field.
The former chief operating officer for the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting now manages Infront China, a sports marketing company representing the country's basketball and soccer leagues.
Ma said: "China has come a long way in transforming its centralised control economy into a market-driven economy, which has worked well in various industries. The end-user is now becoming increasingly important. Sports organizers have to be concerned about viewership, audience attendance, and even players have to think about drawing attention to themselves."
Liu Wei, captain of the Chinese National Basketball Team and Shanghai Sharks, said: "I hope to see more activities organized by sponsors and the basketball association for the players and their fans, as this will get more people interested in the CBA and the national team."
- CNA/ir
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