Yutang Weekly: What happened in the Chinese sports market (7/1 - 7/7)

Under Armour become Official Partners to China’s national 3×3 basketball teams

On June 30th, the organizers of the 2019 Under Armour Basketball Asia Tour held a grand event at the Baoshan Sports Center, during which Under Armour announced that it had become the official strategic partner and exclusive sports apparel supplier to China’s national 3×3 basketball teams.

Chengdu Marathon partners with China Mobile Sichuan

The 2019 Chengdu Marathon has partnered with China Mobile Sichuan, with the latter becoming the exclusive telecommunications service provider for the whole event with the news being released at the end of June.

Youku Sports and PP Sports to form joint venture

Youku Sports, part of the Alibaba Group, and PP Sports, a subdivision of Suning Group, have formed a joint venture with their respective business segments merging and restructuring. According to a person familiar with the situation, the merger will officially be announced in July, with the majority of the joint venture held by Alibaba Group.

Chinese Handball Association Men’s Super League see exciting finals in Beijing

On June 30th, the Chinese Handball Association Men’s Super League ended three days of fierce competition at the Beijing Huacai Gymnasium. CNSG men’s handball team won all three matches to become champions with Beijing men’s football team taking the runners up spot.

Tour de France signs live streaming deal in China

The most famous of the Grand Tours, the Tour de France, have signed a three-year (2019-2021) live digital streaming partnership with the Chinese sports media company, China Sports Zhibo TV. The new partnership was announced on July 2nd via online media reports by China Sports Zhibo TV.

Shanghai announce beneficial policy for eSports companies

On July 2nd, the government of Yangpu District, Shanghai city released a new policy consisting of 23 provisions aimed at helping eSports grow in the district. Companies that meet certain criteria will enjoy many benefits, including office space subsidies, operational assistances, IPO incentives, talent recruitment subsidies and better administrative services.

Manchester United FC open Beijing Preview to Experience Centers in China

On the morning of July 3rd, the English Premier League club Manchester United FC opened a Preview center in Beijing for Manchester United Experience Centers to be opened in China. In addition, they also released a new Chinese-language mobile app for their Chinese fans. The ceremony took place at the Preview center which is located at BeijingFun, a pioneering culture, shopping and office area in the famous Qianmen Dashilan Area, close to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The Group Managing Director of Man Utd., Richard Arnold and three legendary players attended the ceremony.

LeTV Sports business license revoked

According to Qichacha, a business registration information reference website, the business license for LeTV Sports Culture Develop (Beijing) Co. has been revoked.

Revoking the business license of a company is a punitive administrative measure implemented by the Administration of Industry and Commerce on law-breaking business entities. Once the business license is revoked, the company should enter into the liquidation process. The enterprise legal person will cease to exist only after the liquidation has been completed, and the company has cancelled registration with the Administration of Industry and Commerce.

Lenovo partner with FC Internazionale Milano

Lenovo, one of the world’s largest technology solutions providers, have signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with FC Internazionale Milano, a prestigious football club in Serie A that has accumulated many honors and glorious moments in its 110-year history.

The deal makes Lenovo the Global Technology Partner of the football club, and its name will be seen by a collective attendance of over one million in Inter’s home stadium, San Siro, which is one of the largest and most iconic football stadiums in European football. The brand will also be shown on Inter’s training uniform during the season.

Schalke 04 extends three years with K8.com

The Bundesliga football club Schalke 04 have recently extended their ongoing partnership with K8.com for three more years, the club’s official website announced on July 1. K8 will remain the “Official Asian Online Gaming partner of FC Schalke 04.”

Alipay sponsor China women’s football with 1 billion RMB

On July 5th, Alipay held a press conference entitled “Go, China Women’s Football!”. Alipay announced during the conference that they will fund the development of China women’s football teams to the tune of RMB 1 billion over the next 10 years. The funding will mainly be spent on 4 areas: better training for China Women’s National Football Team, better coverage for injured players and better assistance in helping the players adapt to post-retirement, skill improvements in women’s football players and the cultivation of good coaches, as well as the promotion and development of girls’ youth football.

MLB to launch eSports league in China

On July 5th, Major League Baseball announced on the Chinese social network platform Weibo that they will launch their first eSports league, the MLB China eSports League in China.