Yutang Weekly: What happened in the Chinese sports market (8/26-9/1)

2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals to be held in Zhengzhou

On August 27, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced that the Grand Finals of the 2019 ITTF World Tour will be played in Zhengzhou, China, between December 12-15.

The 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals are especially important in that the 4 best mixed doubles pairs in this year’s Finals will automatically receive their ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

All That Matters 2019 to be held in Singapore

Asia’s leading sports and entertainment industry conference, All That Matters, will be held in Singapore from September 16-18 at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia.

All That Matters is a unique conference in that it offers a meeting point in the region for the most influential players in global entertainment. This year’s event will once again consist of 4 main areas: music, sport, gaming and digital marketing. Industrial leaders and top organizations have been invited to attend this important 3-day conference.

Chengdu outline moves to develop sports industry

Chengdu have announced their proposals to develop a sports industry that will be worth RMB 150 billion, but how are they going to reach their goals?

Chengdu will put in a lot of effort to grow more popular sports that see great participation by people, including football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, swimming and running. They will also accelerate the growth of cycling, tennis, baseball, softball, winter sports, water sports, mountain sports and eSports, which are emerging fast and are quickly attracting more and more people.

SHISEIDO Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2019 to be held in Chongqing

On August 28, at the press conference held in Chongqing for the SHISEIDO Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2019, it was announced that the Grand Prix will be held in Chongqing from November 8 to November 10.

The SHISEIDO Cup of China ISU Grand Prix 2019 is the 4th stop out of 6 on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, and has attracted 60 athletes from 10 countries/regions. The November event will be the first time Chongqing will host an international level figure skating competition, which is expected to boost the development of ice and snow sports in Southeastern China.

Guangzhou aim to become eSports center in China

On August 30, at a press conference jointly held by the PR Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Guangzhou Culture, Broadcast and Tourism Bureau, Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, and Guangzhou Industry and Information Technology Bureau, the Guangzhou eSports Industry Development Action Plan (2019-2021) was released, aimed at creating a fully-fledged eSports ecology system in Guangzhou, making it the national eSports center.

The Action Plan lists 10 main tasks, including growing the eSports industry, encouraging research and development of eSports games, improving the research capabilities of eSports companies, cultivating and bringing in top international eSports events, growing eSports media, advancing the building of eSports stadiums, helping eSports companies to cluster and grow together, supporting innovation in eSports consumption, encouraging and supporting eSports companies to go abroad, and accelerating the growth of the eSports industry alongside the SARs of Hongkong and Macau.

Wanda Group form strategic cooperation with FIBA

On August 31, as the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup gets under way, Wanda Group and FIBA signed a strategic cooperation agreement, making Wanda Group FIBA’s Global Business Partner from 2019-2031. This is the second time the two parties have signed a long-term strategic cooperation after Wanda Group became FIBA’s Exclusive Global Business Development Partner.

As FIBA’s Global Business Partner and their top sponsor, Wanda Group will have the rights to globally market the 2023, 2027 and 2031 FIBA Basketball World Cups, the next three FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups, and the Continental Cups in Asia, Europe and America.