Observant people may have been found recently in Beijing and Shanghai, subway stations, NFL jerseys wholesale incessant advertising, in the sports channel of CCTV, Shanghai TV Sports Channel and sina sports channel, also have a week on the NFL game live and special programs. This was considered to enter the NFL started to NBA learn from the Chinese market. "I do not think we are a competitive relationship, need to know some people like basketball, some people like football, each person has his own favorite sport, we hope to share with friends the Chinese passion for football." NFL China’s chief Representative Michael Stokes (MichaleStokes) said. Of course, Stokes is also keen to emphasize, replica NFL jerseys in the United States is beyond doubt that "Big Brother", NBA at best ranked third.
As the four major professional sports leagues in the United States of course, the Mother of NFL (National Football League) is clearly far less reluctant to allow their NBA (National Basketball League) in the Chinese market dominance.
Learn from the NBA
With regard to how the NBA into the Chinese market, has been circulating that an interesting story - 21 years ago, is such a cold winter, cold winds, rain and snow stricken, NBA commissioner David Stern carries two NBA games highlights of the video standing outside the China Central Television, waiting summoned the leadership of China Central Television. The other is a good few hours, David Stern frozen shiver, when he finally summoned the leadership of China Central Television to wait until the time, he did not make too many demands, but the two tapes to the China Central Television, and then said, If you feel fairly exciting NBA game it would be possible on your programs? We do not accept any copyright fees.
In this way, starting from the weekly magazine, to the recording and broadcasting of games, and then to live All-Star Game, NBA Finals, until now live transmission of a NBA regular season, playoffs, NBA and slowly pried open the Chinese market. At present, China is no longer enjoy the broadcast of NBA royalty-free treatment, NBA in China, also has more than 20 partners, the United States early this year, Disney, Li Ka Shing Foundation, Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, Lenovo Group and other investors, a total of five spend 253 million U.S. dollars, holding 11% stake in NBA China.
"There is a big difference, NBA before entering China, basketball in China, have been carried out for a very long time, but American football is totally alien to the Chinese people." Stokes admits, NFL to enter China after the primary task is to help Chinese people understand football.
NFL in the United States the four major professional sports league, on the financial, social impact and the number of fans were well-deserved first. The other three alliance, league, NBA and National Hockey League the total number of fans and revenue together, not as an alliance of more than NFL. Annual "Super Bowl" held that, globally, there will be more than 200 countries and regions in this race live, a global audience over 90 million people, in addition to more than 240 million viewers, you are indirectly or in part, to watch live games. U.S. television ratings in the history of the top 20 programs, there are 10 years of "Super Bowl" a decisive battle. Each year during the final 15 minutes of advertising time slots can be sold for 5.0 billion. Even now in times of financial crisis, the credit rating agency Fitch recently published a notice also said, NFL’s financial position is very "stable", has a very healthy and highly recognized finances. So when the NFL would like to open the Chinese market, will definitely not like David Stern did the year, "Cheng Li Xue door," but the measures they have taken almost the same as is given to the copyright free television stations for their broadcast, and Television highlights for the production of special programs.
NFL also found that, NBA, and MBL (MLB) in Asia’s success with their own superstar from Asia, relations are not small. Such as the NBA Houston Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming, as well as the New York Yankees baseball team’s left fielder Hideki Matsui Japanese. NFL stadium in the NFL hope that one day also be able to appear a "Yao Ming." To this end, NFL specially set up a kicker in China, plans to tap China’s athletes have the potential to become a kicker to the United States to train. Last summer, selected from all over the three Chinese players Gao Wei, Ding Long and Shen Yafei has been stationed in the United States, West Europe training camp in Oregon and received for 8 to 11 months of professional training. Each player can enjoy a fixed monthly subsistence allowance, the best one of them will play in the NFL preseason Chinese shooter task. In addition to receiving intensive course rugby, they also adopted the shopping and enjoy Western and acceptance of English language courses and other methods to adapt to life in the United States.
Replication is not easy to
In order to promote rugby, NFL still in Beijing and Shanghai universities and shopping centers to carry out road shows. Late last month, NFL came to China Agricultural University, but few details of the activities of the site is clearly appropriate to reflect the NFL in China, the status quo. One of the boys from the Central University for Nationalities in the event won an NFL legend in this Jiemingwosen 83 jersey, but when he took over from Watson’s jersey when the sport trousers on the NBA logo impressively in the head. The same is true of the Chinese journalists on-site, activities, just one end of the Chinese journalists are busy eating immediately, only a few American reporters know the value of Watson’s, surrounded by an interview. Even the Watson nor in the active site of the American habit of not wearing his football armor, but got caught up a Chinese people are very familiar with Yao’s "11" jersey. Watson’s position in the NFL was equivalent to Jordan, or Kobe Bryant today.
This is the NFL and the NBA in exploring the Chinese market face different situations. In the NBA, Stern did not send the CCTV video free of charge prior to basketball in China is also a popular sport, in every corner of urban and rural areas everywhere basketball court. The NFL will have to scratch, until now, most Chinese people do not know what American football there are several players to play. Therefore, there is harvest NBA a little farming, but the NFL, you have to nurture the seeds from the very beginning to start.
NFL training arena "China’s Yao Ming" approach has also been challenged. NFL officials in charge of the international market to the three Chinese players Makewole coach zeta inquire about the first question is: "They learn to shoot it?" It is said that three Chinese players shooting has improved from 10 yards, but the with the criteria set still a gap between NFL, players will be if China does not meet the standards, NFL will cancel their plans in China, the race’s appearance. To know that in American football, the striker is only responsible for kick-off, shoot, and score an additional shot, they just need to play when playing. So, the NFL can hope that the three people who appeared like a star like Yao Ming, the expectations of the players trained Ding Long admitted: "Maybe going to the next generation to find such an American football player."
Therefore, in addition to carrying out road shows in addition, they are still in Beijing and Shanghai each 16 colleges and universities (out of 32) the establishment of university rugby club; in Beijing and Shanghai, "sports bar" to theme parties; fight for China Central Television broadcast game, although in middle of the night; in May this year, re-establishment of Chinese web site (www.NFLChina.com); to organize various activities to invite fans to participate in, and send gifts and merchandise discount coupons … …
However, when asked whether there are precise data to prove that China’s steady development of the NFL when the Stokes shift its attention elsewhere, irrelevant answers, "We are to let the Chinese people understand the NFL, is now doing a long-term investment."
NFL president, Tagoe Tagliabue said: "In a sports culture, I do not care about money, are not worried about time. I have the patience, I understand the global economic environment, and we have a strong global platform and a large fan base. I would like to use 10 years to build China’s football ‘pyramid’. "
In the right market at the same time conventional cultivation, NFL have always wanted to do some big events to attract eyeballs. Through the team, players to put on a "big show", this is a major in sports marketing magic, just as the Rockets into the NBA, like China, NFL wanted the team to China has been competition, preparation for the NFL pre-season games "China Bowl." The competition was originally planned for the first anniversary of the Beijing Olympic Games countdown was held and arranged for the NFL’s best-known of the two teams New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. May be due to the chosen race to Workers Stadium for the Olympic Games football matches, to ensure the smooth hosting of the Olympic Games but also because of NFL preseason do not think it is the best time to be held on China, NFL officials made it clear that all the costs incurred by are borne by the United States, they would not venture to do a play without an audience. So the game has been postponed until next year. It is learned that the game changed to the more influential of the Olympic Stadium "Bird’s Nest."
A more crucial question is: Chinese people can accept the NFL do? The first dimension of the problem is that the Chinese are suitable for playing American football do? "Absolutely no problem, rugby is not as you imagined, must be tall Kuaitou Tai to be able to play. This is a team sport, everyone can find their proper place, run fast, Tiaode Gao , and obtain access to steady the can find their place. "In the NFL, held in China Agricultural University, promotional activities, the former Philadelphia Eagles player Gao Wei Lu explained.
"Official of the football game very physical, very intense, the injured athletes was commonplace, but the waist flag non-collision-type game, defensive player as long as the tear down each other’s waist waist flag, rather than pulled down the other side could stop the attack, which is very suitable for lower age groups of children play. "Stokes said the latest data, after four years of development, China has more than 5000 young people engage in flag football this campaign. "We and the Chinese government departments, focusing on Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Guangzhou, and Shandong to promote."
It was for the NFL to enter the China trade promotion work of the former Sharp (Shanghai) Consulting Co., Ltd. introduced the Sports, NFL schedule for advancing in the Chinese market roughly as follows: a 5-year period cultivated a fan base of the shape; 10 years to appear an NFL jerseys Yao; 15 years may be the formation of rugby league in China, 20 years later, is expected to start making money.
However, a noted scholar Yi Jian Dong Bei Tida view, is not the case, in addition to the Chinese people’s body is not suitable for authentic American football, the "idea of culture and life from a philosophical point of view that the Chinese people pay more attention to harmony and unity of the Road, and the Americans to promote the conquest and confrontation, or outside ‘of large-scale combined’ has no small difference. This is a direct result of the football movement in cultural forms difficult to meet the relatively modest increase in the habit of Orientals. "originally Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau of Competition Director of the Center Zhang Heng had previously committed to the introduction of American football in China, but even he seems to be no small sense of the difficulties: "From China’s current situation, the distance between us and American football is too distant, populations and markets are not mature enough to accept this point of the movement. "
wholesale NFL jerseys is also well aware of this, and so started since 2003 to promote flag football in China. Flag football is a safe "non-collision" of the movement, now widely popular in the countries around the world.
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