CCTV-IMG, a joint venture between China state TV network CCTV and
IMG Worldwide, has entered into a 10-year partnership with the Chinese
Super League, the country's top football league. This includes developing the CSL, helping improve management of
Chinese football clubs, advising on development of training programs for
young and future players and establishing corporate sponsors for CSL
events. CCTV-IMG will immediately launch a marketing effort to bring new
corporate partners to the CSL, including title sponsorship of the
league beginning in '14 (CCTV-IMG).
DEVELOPING THE SPORT: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's
Futterman & Mozur wrote the deal marks IMG's "return to a leadership
position in one of China's most popular sports." IMG "helped China
create the country's first professional league, the Jia-A League, in the
early '90s, but the two entities parted ways in '03 when the league
turned to another company." However, during the past decade, Chinese
football "has been racked with charges of bribery and corruption, with
dozens of officials sent to jail." A new generation of Chinese
billionaires "has taken over" the 16-team league and "has
begun to import some of the biggest stars in the world," including
former Chelsea F Didier Drogba, who this year joined the
Shanghai club. Drogba's move "signaled China's emergence as a growing
force" in int'l football. IMG Senior VP/Global Business
Development & Football Jefferson Slack said, "The Drogba signing was
transformational." CSL club Qingdao Jonoon FC CEO and CSL Board Of Director member Yu
Tao said that the league "decided to work with IMG partly to build the
league's reputation abroad." Under the deal, IMG "will have a hand in
every level" of the CSL, "assisting teams with selling
tickets, running club operations and training players." China also is
"intent on developing homegrown stars." IMG execs said that they have
"discussed assisting with training but haven't reached an agreement on a
defined role" (WSJ, 10/17).
