Chinese FA Announces Five-Year, $14.5M Extension To CSL Deal With Ping An

Chinese insurance firm Ping An extended its title sponsorship of the Chinese Super League, with the Chinese FA announcing a five-year, 1B yuan ($14.5M) deal with the company on Monday, according to Michael Church of REUTERS. Ping An has been the league's title sponsor since '14 and CFA General Secretary Zhang Jian said that the current interest in Chinese football "would ensure companies continue to see money spent on the game as a worthwhile investment." Zhang said, "It has sponsored the CSL, Team China and also youth football development. Ping An has become a representative of Chinese companies supporting Chinese football. Right now the CSL is on the rise, so are TV ratings and the competition level. All of these have provided an increase in the CSL's brand value, and it is a great payoff for the CSL's partners." Ping An said that its investment in Chinese football was part of the company's social responsibility program as China "seeks to boost the health and fitness of its population" (REUTERS, 5/22).