US Sports on Chinese Social Media 2014Powered by

The NBA found success early in the Chinese market; but now the other major American sports are hot on their heels. China’s sports industry is experiencing huge growth and other US sports are fast realizing the potential of the China market. We decided to take a look at how these sports are catching up and which will be the next BIG thing in China.

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SPORT MENTIONS FOLLOWERS ENGAGEMENT ACCOUNTS

NFL 16,105 360,000 15 4

UFC 36,685 33,000 25 3

MLB 547 2,000 7 0

NHL 977 2,000 8 1

MLS 378 N/A N/A 1

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Mentions

The number of times each league was

mentioned on Sina Weibo throughout

February 2014.

Followers

The total number of

followers on each league’s official Sina

Weibo account.

Official Accounts

The number of franchise

accounts from each league or

fighter accounts.

Engagement

The average number of

forwards and comments of each accounts

previous 10 posts.

Assessment Criteria.

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The NFL has the largest follower base and number of official accounts, with the four 2014 semi-finalists all online. Despite the NFL launching an online presence back in 2010, their engagement has not seen high levels of growth, with the fans demanding more engaging content.

16,105 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

NFL: most followers

www.kawo.com

354,000Weibo followers

16,105 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

360,000Weibo followers

15 fwds+coms per post

4official accounts

Insight: Support from four franchises provides a strong foundation for new teams to join online. What the fans think: ‘Now this is a man’s sport, speed, strength, passion, it get’s me so excited’

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36,685 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

33,000Weibo followers

25 fwds+coms per post

3official accounts

Insight: fans have become passionate about this high-octane sport where several fighters have Chinese heritage.

What the fans think: “I expect its popularity to be soon on a par with the NBA.”

The UFC has quickly become a sensation in China and online sentiment suggests that UFC will become even more popular. The UFC was mentioned over 35,000 in online discussions and has the strongest engagement of the US challenger sports in this study.

UFC: most engaged.

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The MLB, with just over 2,000 followers and a low level of engagement, is facing the challenges of the Chinese social media landscape. However, the MLB has in place three training academies and an official store in China, a key source for ROI.

MLB: strong grassroots

www.kawo.com

547 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

2,000Weibo followers

7 fwds+coms per post

0official accounts

Insight: Known as ‘America's pastime’, the MLB can use its rich history and tradition to educate Chinese fans.

What the fans think: “I’ve fallen in love with Baseball.”

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977 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

The NHL’s account has been inactive since Oct 2013, leaving their Chinese fans without any content for over 5 months. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs has built an active following of 10,000 fans, representing a great opportunity for other teams.

NHL: rising popularity

www.kawo.com

2,000Weibo followers

977 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

2,000Weibo followers

8 fwds+coms per post

1official accounts

Insight: Following the Sochi Olympics, Chinese interest in winter sports has seen a sharp increase providing a great opportunity to the NHL.

What the fans think: “NHL matches are non-stop entertainment, it’s so exciting to watch.”

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378 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

The MLS is a late bloomer in the US and in China, currently without an official account and with only Toronto FC representing the league online. The MLS however is the only sport out of these that is played in China by the masses, giving it an advantage in terms of awareness and understanding.

MLS: biggest opportunity

www.kawo.com

n/a Weibo followers

378 mentions on Sina Weibo in 30

days

N/AWeibo followers

N/A fwds+coms per post

1official accounts

Insight: #1 reason for Chinese fans to follow a football team, is the presence of celebrity players.

What the fans think: “The MLS league has some great players now, with many of them being able to compete with the best in Europe.”

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The data shown here indicates that US Sports are collectively making a serious push within the Chinese market. This effort appears to have been driven by the leagues themselves rather than by individual teams, as is the case in European football.

It is a strategy which produced outstanding results for the NBA, however to demonstrate solidarity amongst all teams & players within each sports code, results have shown that the sports which created a group of official accounts have been most successful.

A winning formula.

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★ Official accounts - increase the number of these accounts to drive awareness around the sport and the individual teams/athletes

★ Educational content - demonstrate the background and technical side of the sport

★ On the ground presence - events, training academies, and star visits

What’s next for US sports in China?

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