International Champions Cup draws attention in Chinese sponsorship market

International Champions Cup will come to China this summer and has attracted many well-known brands to market at the event. 

Samsung is one of the big brands that have joined the roster, becoming the exclusive Premier Partner. This is the second time Samsung sponsored major football events in China after sponsoring Chinese Super League with 60 million RMB for three years. The exact number is not disclosed, but according to some sources, the number Samsung paid was 8 figure. 

Staffs at Samsung China said that they hope to give back to Chinese consumers and enable them to watch world-class football games near home. 

Samsung has always been an active partner in sports sponsorship. In 2005, they became the official partner of Chelsea FC, and made a record in sponsor fees. They became the sponsor of Juventus FC and Bayern Munich FC and sponsored Beijing Guoan, a Chinese Super League football club this year. 

At the International Champions Cup, Samsung will work with LeTV Sports to host carnival events at the event, and package ball kids who will go on the field with football stars. 

The International Champions Cup was also sponsored by EA Sports, Luyuan, Suning, and Adidas. EA Sports, the company that owns popular FIFA games, has been a natural sponsor for football teams. 

Luyuan is an electronic car brand in China and became the first Chinese sponsor of Real Madrid in March. So it is also natural for the brand to sponsor the International Champions Cup in China where Real Madrid would play. 

Suning, a well-known online e-commerce website in China, has invested large amount of money in sponsorship of the event. Merely online marketing expense during the International Champions Cup exceeds 30 million RMB. 

As for Adidas, two teams out of the three will wear Adidas uniforms. 

Apart from the above companies, many other companies such as China Mobile, Yanghe, and Oppein have signed up as sponsors, and a number of other companies are close to signing contracts. 

According to estimation of the organizing committee, the overall revenue including sponsorships and tickets would be hundreds of millions of RMB. 

Source: ifeng