ESPN is "upping its game" in China, according to Sophia Yan of CNN. ESPN is "teaming up" with tech firm Tencent to cover sports games in China, with Mandarin-language commentary. The 2016 NBA playoffs in April "will be the first games to feature ESPN analysis in Chinese on Tencent's digital platforms." Tencent has also acuired the digital rights to stream "March Madness," and will publish ESPN sports stories in Chinese online. Basketball is "extremely popular in China where NBA games are carried by state broadcaster CCTV and other stations." By working with Tencent, ESPN is "trying to reach new audiences." The deal benefits both sides: ESPN is "looking abroad to stem cable subscriber losses back home, while Tencent is engaged in a mad scramble for content in China." The ESPN-Tencent agreement is "the latest in a string of distribution deals in China" (CNN, 2/3). VARIETY's Patrick Frater reported the two companies will "also collaborate on content for Tencent's media platforms, which include QQ and WeChat (Weixin)." Tencent’s live sports coverage and digital products in China will feature exclusive Mandarin-language ESPN content -- a "combination of original and localized content." It is initially focused on NBA basketball and int'l football, and "includes the potential to expand to other sports over the course of the agreement." ESPN will provide original Mandarin stories focused on the NBA and int'l football, as well as deliver a selection of its English-language NBA and football information and video "to be translated and published on QQ Sports." Tencent Senior Exec VP SY Lau said, "Tencent boasts a huge pool of users. Every day, hundreds of millions of people watch streamed sports games and read sports news on Tencent. This relationship with ESPN will accelerate Tencent's development as a comprehensive and professional digital platform and set benchmarks for the Chinese sports media sector" (VARIETY, 2/2).
ON THE RISE: In L.A., Patrick Brzeski reported interest in sports "is on the rise across China," but basketball has a "particularly huge following." An estimated 300 million mainland Chinese play the game, and retired Houston Rockets center Yao Ming "remains one of the most popular public figures in the country." Kobe Bryant, affectionately known as "Xiao Fei Xia" (Little Flying Warrior), has 3.9 million followers on local social networking service Weibo -- more than Bill Gates (3.2 million), and "slightly less than Tom Cruise (5.3 million)." Tencent Sports Marketing & Business Development GM Yuefeng Sam Xie said, "After years of evolution, China's sports media is now at a crossroads and is ready to transform" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/2). BLOOMBERG's Christopher Palmeri wrote the deal "underscores" Disney's country-by-country approach to the distribution of its video content as viewers watch more videos online. The majority of viewing for NBA games in China "happens through computers, tablets or other mobile devices." Financial terms of the arrangement "weren't disclosed." ESPN Int'l Exec VP Russell Wolff said, "This agreement will help us serve millions of Chinese fans and bring our coverage of basketball, international soccer and other sports to them like never before" (BLOOMBERG, 2/2).
