NBA No 1 in China ahead of Premier League and Champions League in survey of internet users; CSL not in the top 10
- Ampere Analysis says the popularity of foreign basketball and football leagues offers big teams the chance to profit from such a huge market
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most popular league in China, according to a survey of mainland internet users with the English Premier League coming in second ahead of the Uefa Champions League.
The domestic Chinese Super League and Chinese Basketball Association competition failed to make it into the top 10, according to broadcast and next generation content research firm Ampere Analysis.
“In China the NBA and the EPL already boast two of the country’s largest TV rights contracts, and that’s why both competitions tour China and play league and friendly matches locally,” Ampere senior analyst Alexios Dimitropoulos was quoted as saying in several media reports.
“However, with such strongly preferred sports in each market, international leagues entering these two markets for the first time outside the traditional favourites will need to work hard to develop a following.”
China and India have recently been added to Ampere’s consumer research service, which now covers 42,000 internet users in 20 markets. In all markets, China was the only country in which basketball was the number one sport.