Sport Sponsorship in China

China, with its unique history and cultural background, has begun to implement commercialized sport sponsorship about two decades after its western counterparts, and academic research has largely failed to address how international and national corporations perceive the opportunities for sponsorship investment in China. This book is the first that compares the practices of domestics and international corporate sponsors in China and identifies measures to reduce market risks in China and enhance benefits. Having conducted in-depth research interviews with nineteen Chinese sport sponsorship authorities, the book reveals cultural and motivational differences between the international corporations and domestic companies involved in sport sponsorship in China. The study also demonstrates that sport sponsorship is a strategic investment and that partnerships are a developing trend in the Chinese sport sponsorship market. This book is essential reading for sport marketing researchers and practitioners who are interested in analyzing how international and national companies are employing sport sponsorship as a strategic investment to obtain competitive advantages in China.