Top Aussie sports ramp up attempt to crack Chinese market

Canberra (Xinhua): Executives from Australia›s leading sports have embarked on a mission to China on Monday, hoping to make inroads in tapping into the Chinese market. Representatives from the National Basketball League (NBL), Tennis Australia and the Australian Football League (AFL) will take part in a two-day summit where they will meet China›s sports bosses in Shanghai.

The AFL has made a concerted effort to expand into Asia recently, holding the first ever regular season game of Aussie Rules in Shanghai in May, while the NBL has made its Asian intentions clear, going as far as to consider adding an Asian team to the competition.

«The focus for us is, how do you engage consumers on a more regular basis outside of the (Shanghai) game?» David Stevenson, General Manager of the AFL in China, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday. «We want to expose them to our season all the way through, we want to introduce them to our women›s league.” 

The AFL›s Port Adelaide Football Club (PAFC) has committed to playing at least one game per season in China for the foreseeable future. The NBL has also taken steps to establish a presence in China, securing a deal to have games broadcast on internet platforms and having Melbourne United play exhibition games against Team China in June.

«There is a direct opportunity for Chinese sponsors wanting to get some exposure in China and Australia,» Jeremy Loeliger, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NBL, said. «Having our product shown live in China for every game is also important to our Australian sponsors wanting to access the Chinese market.” 

The Australian sports are using the success of America›s National Basketball Association (NBA) and European soccer teams such as the U.K›s Manchester United in China as a blueprint for expanding into the region.