Budweiser and NFL to jointly tap Chinese market

Budweiser and NFL China jointly announced a strategic partnership agreement in San Francisco on Sunday ahead of the opening of the 50th Super Bowl. The partnership will run through to the 2022 Super Bowl. 

The Super Bowl will take place on February 7, Chinese New Year's Eve. Joe Montana, the legendary NFL quarterback, said that "this year, Super Bowl comes at the time of Chinese New Year, so with this unique co-incidence, I’d like to wish a happy Chinese New Year to all the Chinese fans."

Richard Young, managing director of NFL China, said at the ceremony that "Just like the golden Super Bowl in the Golden State, beer and football also makes a perfect match. Budweiser is devoted to bringing the top global sports games to Chinese consumers, and that’s why we are here today to celebrate the strategic partnership between Budweiser and NFL China."

According to Huang Jianxiang, a famous Chinese sports commentator, China now has over 75 million fans of the Super Bowl. "The number of fans is still growing," said Huang.

Michel Doukeris, Zone President and CEO of AB InBev Asia Pacific, said that "NFL is the most popular sport in America, and American football is among the fastest growing sports in China in recent years. On the strategic partnership with NFL, we will work together to promote the unique charm of American football to more Chinese consumers."

When asked whether they will bring one or two NFL teams to China during Chinese New Year, Doukeris said "It's one of the possibilities."

According to NFL China, the 50th Super Bowl will be broadcast live by more than 17 media platforms in China. 

Source: people.cn

Proofread by John Devlin