Hisense leveraging major sport for global reach

Chinese home appliance manufacturer Hisense Group is intensifying efforts to expand its global presence by sponsoring world-class sports events, and bolstering technological advancements to target the overseas high-end market.

Being the inaugural official partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which kicked off on Sunday in the United States, the company is providing screen support for video assistant referees in the stadiums and VAR rooms to help on-field referees make decisions.

It also offers display screen technology for the global broadcasting of the tournament and professional content production, demonstrating the rising technological prowess and competitiveness of Chinese brands on the global stage.

Data from market research firm Omdia showed that Hisense has taken the top spot in the global market for 100-inch and above televisions with a 56.7 percent share in the first quarter of 2025, while its shipment of 100-inch TVs surged 179.3 percent year-on-year.

It estimated that the shipment of 100-inch and above liquid crystal displays, or LCD TVs, worldwide will exceed 1 million units by 2025 for the first time, and 100-inch TVs will become a standard configuration in middle and high-income households.

The consultancy said the total shipment of Hisense TVs reached 29.14 million units in 2024, accounting for 14 percent of the global market share and ranking second in the world.

"Continued investment in world-class sporting events represents Hisense's determination to become a global brand, and it helps us build stronger relationships with global consumers and accelerates the company's globalization process," said Jia Shaoqian, chairman of Hisense, in an earlier interview.

By partnering with the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Hisense is advancing its sports marketing strategy and accelerating its globalization efforts. The company has been a global partner of three UEFA soccer championships. It also sponsored the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The company is also stepping up its investment in product research and development and technological innovation to target high-end overseas markets and improve its customers' viewing experience.

Jia said they will continue to strengthen core competitiveness in technology and products, build its self-owned brands, and expand its global footprint in high-end markets as Hisense strives to become a world-class enterprise and enhance its technological capabilities.

The upgrades and advancements in the television industry have always been driven by innovative technologies, he added.

The company is ratcheting up resources to make innovations in the self-developed artificial intelligence-powered imaging chips and laser display technology, while continuously promoting the high-end and intelligent transformation of the home appliances industry.

Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation's e-commerce research institute, said the sponsorship of important international sporting events is conducive to connecting with consumers across the globe, helping Chinese enterprises speed up global expansion, and significantly enhancing brand recognition and a company's international standing.

"Sports marketing serves as an important way for Chinese brands to increase their global competitiveness, expand their footprint abroad and boost sales in overseas markets," Hong added.

In the past, most Chinese enterprises adopted the original equipment manufacturer, or OEM model, but nowadays they have built up self-owned brands in a bid to bolster competitiveness on the global stage, said Dong Min, secretary-general of the China Video Industry Association.

Dong said Chinese household appliance companies should attach greater importance to products' R&D, pour more resources into technological innovation and optimize product functions to cater to the diversified needs of shoppers in overseas markets.

It is inevitable that Chinese home appliance manufacturers are expanding their footprint abroad for new profit growth points and long-term development, as the domestic home appliance market is almost saturated, said Zhao Meimei, assistant president of Beijing-based market consultancy AVC.

Building a sound global industrial chain and enhancing operational capacity in the overseas market will help Chinese home appliance companies utilize global resources, reduce costs and improve management efficiency, Zhao added.