LAGARDÈRE S.A. Shanghai, 22 August 2017
Lagardère Sports gears up for growth in China with launch of Shanghai office
As China's importance in the global economy and the sports industry continues to rise, the agency is expanding its Chinese operations to support the growing ambitions of international and domestic clients.
Leading global sports marketing agency, Lagardère Sports, today announced its plans to substantially increase its operations in Shanghai to deliver against the burgeoning business needs and ambitions of the agency's international and domestic clients. With China fast becoming a major hub for sports and business, the agency will use its deep local knowledge and insights to help brands and rights holders achieve long term value in the Chinese territory.
Lagardère Sports has bolstered its capabilities and resources at its office in Jing'An - Shanghai's vibrant central district - since December 2016. The core team of local Chinese experts will provide rights management, brand consulting and market development advice to both domestic clients looking to increase their brand profile internationally, and to international brands and rights holders seeking to expand their businesses in China.
As the leading sports agency in Asia, Lagardère Sports has been operating in China for over two decades, with its exclusive partnership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has spearheaded the development of national and club football across Asia. The agency is a long-term investor in the region and generates over US$1 billion in revenues per year for clients locally and globally. Its extensive knowledge of the local market and international capabilities places the agency in pole position to advise international brands on their expansion plans for China.
With its unparalleled experience in international sports marketing, Lagardère Sports is also the trusted partner for Chinese enterprises looking to advance their presence and brand profile globally. The agency has unprecedented access to the most important relationships in the business of sport with a network of more than 60,000 rights-holders, brands, hospitality clients and broadcasters across the world including 100 European football clubs, partnerships with three FIFA confederations and several major U.S. professional sports leagues.
'The launch of our new office in Shanghai marks the next chapter in the history of Lagardère Sports in the region,' said Andrew Georgiou, CEO of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment. 'We have great aspirations for China, a country brimming with exceptional talent and immense resources that has made it a frontrunner in business, technology, sports and entertainment.'
'By leveraging our extensive network, international experience and local market knowledge, we want to help Chinese businesses showcase their brands on the global stage as well as support international brands and rights holders to build their business in China through strong local partnerships. Our vision in China is to be an authentic, long-term partner to Chinese enterprises, while strengthening the connections between the East and the West, and being a catalyst for the development of sport in this part of the world.'
With a strong local team driving Lagardère Sports' China strategy, the Shanghai office will be able to deliver a full range of services for sports rights holders, brands, athletes and media companies. These capabilities include:
- Marketing, sponsorship and brand partnerships
- Content creation, media rights, production and distribution
- Brand consulting, activation and digital services
- Stadium and arena management solutions
- Athlete management
- Event management
NOTE TO EDITORS:
See Annex A for a historical timeline of Lagardère Sports' milestones in Greater China.
ANNEX A
LAGARDÈRE SPORTS' MILESTONES IN GREATER CHINA
YEAR | MILESTONE |
| 1992 | Our Hong Kong office was established. |
| 1993 | Lagardère Sports was appointed the exclusive commercial partner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a relationship that continues until this day. We have worked in China on the most important Asian football assets including:
|
| 1994 | From 1994 to 2002, Lagardère Sports was the commercial partner of the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC). Key events staged in China included the Asian Basketball Championships, the Junior Men's Championships and the Under-20 Championships. It was these early events that then-teenagers Yao Ming and Wang Zhi Zhi competed in before they became NBA stars. The ABC was a springboard for their careers. We launched the Asian PGA Tour - the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia (excluding Japan) with multiple events held in China - now known as the Asian Tour. |
| 1995 | Since 1995, Lagardère Sports has promoted over 100 golf tournaments in Asia Pacific, including 20 of China's biggest golf tournaments such as:
|
| 1999-2009 | Lagardère Sports distributed media rights to 27 individual badminton events including the Asian Championships. |
| 2001 | We were involved in the staging of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which saw China qualifying for their first World Cup, held the following year in Japan and Korea. |
| 2002 | We represented exclusive media rights for Asian Table Tennis Union events and recently extended to 2021. |
| 2003 | Lagardère Sports first started working with the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) - headquartered in Beijing - during the 2003 Asian Championships. |
| 2003-15 | We were appointed the exclusive media agency for the Asian Volleyball Confederation. |
| 2004 | Our event delivery team was present when China hosted the AFC Asian Cup for the first time. China finished runner-up to Japan - the final was played at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing - and recorded one of their finest results in an international tournament. It is considered one of the most successful Asian Cup's to date. |
| 2006 | We launched the Omega China Tour, China's first golf domestic tour. The circuit boasted four events in 2006, six in 2007, eight in 2008, and six in 2009. |
| 2009 | Lagardère Sports launched OneAsia and became the Official Media Partner for the circuit, handling all its television broadcast matters. From 2009 to 2010, we managed TV production for the Midea China Classic. |
| 2011 | From 2011 to 2015, we handled TV production for the Nanshan China Masters. We handled the telecast and global media rights for the OCA Asian Winter Games. |
| 2011 | From 2011 to 2012, Lagardère Sports advised the IOC and Chinese Olympic Committee on how Coca-Cola Greater China and P&G China could effectively activate their sponsorship of the Chinese Olympic Team competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games. |
| 2011-12 | Lagardère Sports created a partnership between Geely Motors and the Russia National Football Team. |
| 2012 |
Lagardère Sports was the host broadcaster for the following events held in China:
|
| 2012-14 | We provided Haier with visibility across the French Ligue 1 through partnerships with three clubs. |
| 2013 | We witnessed China's rise in the world of football when Guangzhou Evergrande triumphantly claimed the AFC Champions League trophy in 2013 and 2015. From 2013 to 2015, Lagardère Sports managed the TV production for the Dongfeng Nissan Cup CTS. |
| 2013-17 | Lagardère Sports created a Championship partnership between Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Huawei. |
| 2014-15 | Lagardère Sports provided LingLong Tires with visibility across the big five European football leagues through LED packages. |
| 2015 | Lagardère Sports managed the TV production for the Volvo China Open from 2015 to 2017. We were the host broadcaster of the UCI Tour of Taihu Lake, a professional cycling race staged in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. |
| 2016 | Lagardère Sports Shanghai was formally incorporated on 19 December 2016. Lagardère Sports was the host broadcaster of the IWUF Sanda World Cup in Xi'an, the Asian Fencing Championships in Wuxi, and the IWUF Taolu World Cup in Fuzhou. |
| 2016-17 | We were the host broadcaster for the KHL Ice Hockey - Kunlun Red Star home games in Beijing and Shanghai as well as the Wuxi Marathon in Jiangsu. |
| 2016-17 | We provided Changhong with Bundesliga visibility through a LED partnership with Augsburg FC. |
| 2016-18 | We provided VIVO mobiles with English Premier League visibility through a LED package. |
| 2016-19 | Lagardère Sports created a premier partnership between Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach and ZTE. |
| 2017 | Lagardère Sports was the host broadcaster for the Xuzhou Marathon in Jiangsu, IWUF World Classic Kung Fu Championships in Ermeishan, and the UCI World Urban Cycling Championships in Chengdu. As the exclusive media and marketing partner of the AFC, we were thrilled when the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier match between China and Korea on 23 March 2017 recorded a 5-year historic high in sports television viewership on CCTV. More than 70 million Chinese tuned in to watch the match. Five days later, China's WCAQ duel with Iran grossed the highest sports audience reach in 2017, surpassing the China vs Korea viewership record by two million. Lagardère Sports was appointed the strategic partner of Formula 1 in China. |
About Lagardère Sports
Lagardère Sports is a leading sports marketing agency with a global network of local experts dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that meet our clients' needs. We believe sport inspires emotions and passion that are essential to enriching people's lives and generate powerful collective experiences. At Lagardère Sports, we dedicate our expertise and passion to providing our clients with privileged access to the infinite opportunities of sports. Lagardère Sports is part of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, a company with more than 1,700 employees worldwide and 50 years of experience.
Lagardère SCA published this content on 22 August 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
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