Sports industry racing to open up

Beijing's Wukesong stadium host the finals of men's basketball of 2008 Beijing Olympics. And it will serve as the home court of CBA franchise Beijing Ducks starting next season. [Photo/Xinhua]

Stadium gains

In recent years, major international events, such as the NBA and Formula One, and a number of big-time sports conglomerates have succumbed to the lure of the Chinese market. Their presence has not only brought original live events to local audiences, but also provided expertise in the management of events and the business of sports in general.

In November, Beijing Inter Sports Co, a major sports promoter and operator, brought a high-profile exhibition soccer game between the national teams of Brazil and Argentina to the National Stadium. It was the sixth successive year that the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympics had hosted international exhibition games since 2009.

"Hosting these exhibition games has contributed a lot to our revenue through ticket sales, advertising and merchandizing. With the central government issuing policies to boost the sports industry, we expect to host more games, and eventually a domestic league club may settle down at the stadium and boost business further," said Li Zhiqun, assistant general manager of the National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest.

Organizers from overseas have also applauded the proposed policy, which they believe will loosen the tight bureaucracy of Chinese sports administration and help to bring a wider range of international competitions to the country.

For the past four years, En Garde Marketing GmbH, a German sports event company, and the State-owned Chinese Equestrian Association have jointly organized the International Equestrian Federation's World Cup Jumping China League in Beijing.

The experience means En Garde is fully aware of the complexities of running an international event in China. "All kinds of bureaucracy make it more complicated, which isn't usual on these occasions. If (the new policy) is implemented fully, it will definitely be good news (for foreign companies and investors), and we might consider introducing more events to China," said Christoph Johanning-Moellerhaus, a company representative.

If implemented, the policy will also encourage a larger number of companies to invest in China's top professional basketball and soccer leagues.

On Tuesday night, at the Beijing Ducks' second home game of the CBA Finals, the logos of a record 25 sponsors, who have contributed a combined 500 million yuan to the league this season, were seen inside the MasterCard Center in Beijing.

Promotional activities endorsed by leading sponsors, including sporting goods manufacturer Li-Ning and automaker FAW-Volkswagen, drew massive crowd participation and provided the companies with a huge amount of exposure.

"In metropolises such as Beijing, consumption driven by major sporting competitions has been a phenomenon in recent years. We believe the new policy will lure even more investors and sponsors who are eager to get involved in the booming business," said Liu Jingmin, former deputy mayor of Beijing and a member of the CPPCC National Committee.

Contact the writer at sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn