Asia
Features
Kevin McCullagh | Could IPL 2020 be one of the great Covid comebacks?
Kevin McCullagh takes a look at the world’s biggest annual cricket competition, the Indian Premier League, ahead of its move this year to the United Arab Emirates
Frank Leenders | Fiba tie-up with TCL is ‘more than just another deal’
Frank Leenders, director general of Fiba Media and Marketing Services, is optimistic about the future of basketball, in spite of the 'invisible enemy' of Covid-19. He speaks to Kevin McCullagh about this and the other challenges the federation has faced in 2020, such as losing much-loved ambassadors of the sport Kobe Bryant, David Stern and Borislav Stankovic.
Borussia Dortmund woos Chinese fans with virtual summer tour
SportBusiness speaks to Benjamin Wahl, head of China at Borussia Dortmund, about the BVB Virtual Asia Tour, which emerged out of the ashes of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Simon Chadwick | Sport feels the strain of East-West political tensions
Simon Chadwick, director of Eurasian Sport at emlyon Business School France/China, outlines the pressures being felt in the sports industry as political tensions ratchet up between China, the West and others.
The Big Debate | Will younger Asians be as engaged with sport as their elders?
Sport in Asia has been growing in popularity in recent decades, spurred by growth in interest in overseas leagues, encouragement from governments and the hosting of major events. But with media habits and cultural tastes changing, will today’s teenagers be as enamoured as the generations that went before them?
Football Marketing Asia director Yu Hang to leave
Yu Hang, a director at the Football Marketing Asia agency, is leaving the business in the coming months, SportBusiness understands
LPGA Tour cancels Asia swing due to Covid-19
The Ladies Professional Golf Association has called off all four events of its Asia swing in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic due to the quarantine requirements in place with crossing country borders
Brown targets more Asian sponsors for McLaren
McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown wants his team to secure more sponsors from Asia, believing brands from the region are under-represented on its roster
Singapore aims for Rugby Sevens sports hosting comeback
Singapore is targeting the World Rugby Sevens Series scheduled in the city next April as its return to hosting major sports events after the Covid-19 pandemic
Dato’ Windsor John | AFC focuses on ‘business continuity’ and supporting associations
SportBusiness spoke to Dato' Windsor John, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, about how the organisation has dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic and how it sees a brighter future, with a commercial rights contract getting underway and a Women's World Cup coming to the region in 2023.
How can the sports business in Asia respond to a de-globalised world?
How will global sports industries adapt to the likely prospect of a more inward looking world? And can cancelled events easily win back the hearts of fans in Asia? SportBusiness asks three experts on the region for their thoughts.
“The future of TV across Asia is online” | Takeaways from the APOS media conference, Part I
SportBusiness reports back from the APOS 2020 Virtual Series, the online incarnation of the leading Asia-Pacific media, telecoms and entertainment industry conference hosted by Media Partners Asia.
Former agent and translator aims to create Asian basketball’s ‘Champions League’
SportBusiness speaks to Matt Beyer, the chief executive of the East Asia Super League about his plans for the competition and his background working as a translator for Yi Jianlian in the NBA
The inside view as China sacrifices international sports events
The Chinese government recently said the country will not be hosting most of its planned international sports events this year, putting a number of major events in doubt. SportBusiness asked three local industry insiders for their thoughts on the potential for disruption.
Adrian Staiti | Five reasons to be optimistic about the sports industry post-Covid-19
Adrian Staiti, APAC president of sports marketing agency Sportfive, challenges the wary outlook for the sports industry and says a 'better normal' will flourish once markets come out of the pandemic.
Lee Choong Khay | After Covid-19, the sports media rights model must change
Lee Choong Khay, head of sport at Malaysian pay-television broadcaster Astro, implores rights-holders and broadcasters to take the opportunity of the Covid-19 interruption to reconsider the sports media rights model.
Protracted return for professional sport in China
Tom King looks at how China is getting its sporting calendar back on track, and how the global health crisis has affected some of the weaker industry players in the country.
Sportfive focused on sponsorship for Asia-Pacific growth in new era
Adrian Staiti, head of Apac and global sales at Sportfive, explains how the agency will move forward in the region in its post-AFC rights era and under new ownership.
DDMC Fortis becomes FMA and remains bullish as AFC project enters ‘operational’ phase
Football Marketing Asia CEO Patrick Murphy explains the rebrand of his agency and the change of gear within the business this year, and provides a progress report on its Asian Football Confederation project.
Japanese sport sets out on the long road back
Japan’s biggest domestic sports league, Nippon Professional Baseball, commenced its 2020 season on June 19 following a three-month delay due to Covid-19.
Ferrari looks east for business and a future F1 driver
SportBusiness speaks to Michael Smith, director of motorsport and commercial operations at Motorsport Australia, about the plans for the future of the sport in Australia, and reaching out to potential drivers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Singapore focuses on return on investment as city’s Covid-19 recovery plan gathers pace
Singapore’s biggest annual sporting event, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, has become a casualty of the pandemic, but as a regional hub for major sports agencies and with a track record of hosting major events, ‘destination Singapore’ is preparing to welcome back sport with a cost-conscious approach.
LaLiga’s Chinese JV focuses on sponsorship, merchandising in push to become leading foreign football league
LaLiga is aiming to become the biggest overseas football league in China via its new joint-venture in the market with Mediapro and Super Sports Media, Sergi Torrents, the JV’s chief executive, told SportBusiness this week.
“Remind people that you’re part of their lives” – DDMC Fortis’s Ned Negus on sponsorship behind closed doors
Ned Negus, executive vice-president, partnerships, at DDMC Fortis spoke to SportBusiness about the challenge for the sponsorship sector posed by sport being played behind closed doors, and the Covid-19 crisis more broadly. He says there is a big opportunity for sponsors in being present as sport returns, helping to bring sport back into people's lives.
Mohit Lalvani | Public health a fruitful theme in search for sponsorship spend and ROI during Covid-19
Mohit Lalvani, founder and CEO of 1 Play Sports, the Singapore-based sports streaming services provider, identifies a potentially valuable avenue for sponsorship during the pandemic, that may resonate with the public and governments
Asian football fan clubs cry out for live digital experiences during shutdown
SportBusiness speaks to Asian fan clubs of European football teams to see what they made of their favourite teams' efforts to keep them engaged during the pandemic.
Asian e-commerce live streams attract early-mover sports properties
Ecommerce live streams are a growing phenomenon in online retail in Asia, and sports businesses are starting to dip their toes in the water.
Petronas Yamaha SRT aims to tap burgeoning racing interest in “two-wheel” SE Asia
Tom King talks to Razlan Razali, team principal of Petronas Yamaha SRT MotoGP team, about the growth potential for motorcycle racing in Southeast Asia.