The beautiful game finally takes off in China as foreign clubs eye big profits
Football is finally taking off in China’s huge market as foreign clubs eye its merchandising potential
For years, China’s sports industry has been dominated by basketball, tennis and badminton, driven by homegrown stars such as Yao Ming and Li Na and strong leagues.
Yet the most lucrative sport of all – football – has lagged behind. With a previously weak domestic league, allegations of corruption, poor showings from the national teams and intellectual property issues surrounding merchandise, the market hasn’t taken off as it has in other developing football markets such as the United States.
However, that has started to change in recent years. With an increasing interest in foreign leagues, the improvement of the domestic league and the recent encouraging performance by the men’s national team in the Asia Cup in Australia, the market is starting to grow.
Of course, the biggest football clubs in the world already see the huge potential of China’s consumer market for their brands. The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona have made lucrative tours of China in recent years in an effort to create a new generation of fans eager to buy merchandise and support the clubs financially.
Speaking in 2012 in an interview with Focus magazine, Manchester United’s then chief executive David Gill said: “Anyone who saw our last visit – to Hangzhou in 2009 – will know the enormous popularity the club enjoys in China. Thousands of cheering fans lined the streets and waited patiently outside the hotel for a glimpse of the players. That passion and enthusiasm cannot be ignored.”
Even smaller entities are seeing the need to engage with demand, with bloggers and fan sites launching versions in Chinese to tap the market.
