MOSCOW: Entertainment, sports and property giant Wanda Group, the first Chinese brand to take a lead partner position for the just concluded 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, views the impact of the tournament as “game-changing” for football in the world’s most populous country.
Wanda Sports was one among a record number of Chinese sponsors that invested in the World Cup, including smartphone giant Vivo, electronics brand Hisense, dairy brand Mengniu, technology company Luci and clothing brand Diking.
China’s commitment to the 2018 World Cup is expected to add an extra $835 million in ad spend around the mega event, The Drum reports.
Hengming Yang, chief executive officer of Wanda Sports, told The Drum: “This World Cup has seen China and Chinese football fans embrace the tournament like never before. With 100,000 Chinese fans having travelled to Russia to enjoy the games and millions more following back home on TV, online and social media.
“I think this will be a game-changing moment for the sport in China and it will start to embed a more engaged football culture within the country that will help football really develop from within, both at an elite and grass roots level.
“I think this has gone beyond a time when Chinese fans were just wanting to watch the big games and big players.”
Yang said the increased interest by Chinese audiences was evident in the viewing figures which saw China record 14 of the top 20 largest audiences on TV. The biggest average audience was 43.33 million viewers for Brazil vs Costa Rica game, which recorded the biggest peak and biggest 1-minute reach for the entire group stage and was the first World Cup game to break the 100 million barrier.
Interestingly, Yang said Wanda’s principal aim behind partnering with FIFA as a sponsor for the World Cup was not to create buzz around the brand on a global stage but to engage with Chinese audiences.
“We have intentionally focused on driving the value from our partnership back to China through the launch, with FIFA, of new FIFA social channels earlier this year on Weibo and WeChat, as well as using our flag bearers initiative to inspire the next generation of footballers in the country.
“One of the primary reasons for us to sign the partnership with FIFA was to inspire the next generation of Chinese footballers. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup we have delivered exactly that, we have given 384 children between the ages of 12 and 17 the opportunity to step onto the pitch at the FIFA World Cup as a Wanda / FIFA flagbearer.
“Among them are children from deprived areas in China who get to travel abroad for the first time, as well as a group of young Chinese players from Wanda’s ‘Future Football Stars’ programme who have been training at the Atletico de Madrid Academy to improve their game, learn a new culture and develop as individuals. And these children have been seen by a huge number of fans back home when you consider the seismic TV audiences that this World Cup has been generating.”
Yang believes Wanda’s involvement, and that of the other Chinese brands, will help to drive interest and growth in football within China.
