Zug, Switzerland – After a period of fruitful negotiations, Infront Sports & Media, a Wanda Sports company, and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) agreed to redefine their long-standing and successful partnership. Yesterday, representatives from both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing, outlining the strengthening of the CBA company, who will be responsible for CBA's League's sponsorship and media rights related to business development, and the cooperation with Infront China and CBA, including both sponsorship and international media rights, starting with the 2017/18 season.
Throughout the previous years, Infront raised the exposure of CBA by internationalising the league and associating it with some of the leading domestic and international brands. During the time of the collaboration, the CBA became the fastest growing Chinese sports league. Today the league features a total of 20 clubs playing in as many as 417 games each year taking fans on an exhilarating journey.
During the successful 12-year cooperation, Infront contributed in redefining and structuring the commercial programme, ultimately helping CBA to grow its commercial profile in both sponsorship and media coverage. Today, the CBA is generally recognised as the best professional basketball league in Asia, and one of the leading leagues around the world. Infront is happy to remain a part of the CBA’s growth path and its future development in China and beyond.
About Infront Sports & Media
Infront Sports & Media, a Wanda Sports company, is one of the most respected sports marketing companies in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sport and with a leading role in football, summer and endurance sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with close to 170 rights holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 900 experienced staff working from over 35 offices across more than 15 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In November 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Holding, part of the Chinese conglomerate the Dalian Wanda Group.
About Wanda Sports
Wanda Sports is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Led by President & Vice Chairman Philippe Blatter, Wanda Sports incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.
