Global sports brands meet backlash in effort to cross pollinate with Chinese entertainment stars

While Manchester United and the NBA won't have enjoyed the backlash by Chinese sports fans, Mark Dreyer, a Beijing-based sportswriter who edits the China Sports Insider website, said he does not see a "big issue", as the aim of these partnerships is to tap into new demographics.

"One big question is whether Cai's fans will become long-term NBA fans, or whether non-sports fans of Lu will be fans of Man Utd, respectively, a year from now," he said. "But with each side basking in the perceived coolness of the other side, it's an arrangement that appears to work, and I would expect to see more of this in the future."

The United States' National Football League, known as the NFL, has been embracing entertainment partnerships to good effect in recent years.

Chinese pop star Kris Wu partnered with the NFL last year, becoming the first ever Chinese artist to perform at a promotional event for the Super Bowl, the league's annual championship game, with Wu reportedly initiating the partnership himself.

"Wu valued the association he would get from tying himself to one of the world's biggest sporting events and the NFL saw huge engagement numbers in China from a new demographic.

"His fans may not have tuned into to watch the big game, but they were certainly more aware of the event after Wu's performance the previous day. So this is an approach that clearly seems to work for both sides," Dreyer explained.

However, Dreyer cautioned that sports brands must tread carefully when selecting ambassadors, as today's hero can quickly turn into tomorrow's villain.

"Most brands quickly dumped Tiger Woods, for example, once news broke about his many affairs, and, whether or not brands decide to stick with their athletes in times of crisis — as some did with badminton star Lin Dan when he had a very public affair — it puts brands in a very tough position, because none of them will want to answer uncomfortable questions," he said.

Discussion:
Major leagues are reaching out to young Chinese fans by recruiting the country's biggest entertainment icons. The stars' fans eagerly tune into the games, while the sports' hardcore supporters criticize the pairings. What do you think? Join the discussion by posting your comments. We will select three comments. Readers whose comments are selected will earn a gift. Please note that we will contact you by phone so leave your phone number in the Personal Center.
英超和NBA都选择跟流量明星合作，以此迅速获得粉丝关注和热度，但体育迷们对此并不买账，你怎么看？赶紧发表评论，我们将从评论中选出3名幸运读者送出礼物。请在个人中心留下电话，我们将通过电话联系获奖用户。