MLSE Chief Commercial Officer Dave Hopkinson and Dir of Global Partnerships & Int'l Business Development Bo Hu this past weekend were in China as "part of a Leaf-centric campaign to grow hockey’s popularity in the world’s most populous country," according to Morgan Campbell of the TORONTO STAR. The Leafs "are deeply invested in promoting the game there." State-run broadcaster CCTV is in the second year of a three-season broadcast deal with the NHL, and the Leafs will "help CCTV produce a 10-part TV series educating new viewers on hockey’s nuances." For one game late last season, the rink board ads at Air Canada Centre "targeted CCTV viewers with messages written in Chinese." The Leafs "have identified China as the market most able to boost brand equity and merchandise sales." Instead of "waiting [for] a league-wide Chinese marketing initiative the Leafs have launched their own, investing in the sport and figuring the payoff will come in fan engagement." Hopkinson said that the goal is to "turn the Leafs into hockey’s version of Manchester United" or the Yankees -- "a global force that becomes synonymous with the sport in every new market (TORONTO STAR, 11/8).
DIPLOMATIC EFFORT: The NATIONAL POST's Matthew Fisher noted Canada PM Stephen Harper "encouraged the Chinese to share his passion" for hockey during an interview Sunday with CCTV. The NHL is "broadcasting 119 regular season games on CCTV 5 in China this winter," and 20 of those matches "are to involve the Maple Leafs." The team has "drawn larger television audiences" in China "than they do back at home although their games have been aired live early in the morning." Hopkinson said that the team’s ties in China "had already produced more than" C$2.5M in sponsorship deals (NATIONAL POST, 11/10).
