China Briefing | World Cup 2018 has a winner already. Chinese commerce
China’s national football team might not have made it to Russia, but Chinese corporate sponsors are very much part of the action. When it comes to marquee international sporting events, that’s a sign of things to come
With the World Cup well under way in Russia, tens of millions of Chinese soccer fans have their eyes glued to their television sets as they cheer on the greatest stars of the beautiful game – players like Lionel Messi of Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, and Neymar of Brazil. But the television coverage of these sporting idols is not confined to their dribbling, tackling, shooting – and occasionally, even diving – antics on the pitch.
During the commercial breaks, Messi peddles the milk and drinkable yogurt of Mengniu Group, one of China’s biggest dairy product manufacturers; Neymar pairs up with a dashing model to unveil the latest mobile phone handset from Oppo; and Ronaldo drives an SUV made by WEY.
WATCH: Ronald’s promotional video for WEY
Meanwhile, on signage around the pitches, there flash corporate logos and Chinese-character signs of Chinese sponsors including Wanda Group, a conglomerate controlled by one of China’s richest men Wang Jianlin; Mengniu; Vivo (another mobile phone maker); and Hisense, one of China’s largest television makers. These logos are beamed into the rooms of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The unprecedented presence of Chinese firms at Russia 2018 signals the momentous rise of Chinese brands, money and products at marquee international sporting events.
And their presence at such events, including the Olympics, will get only bigger in the coming years.