Chinese Super League plots foray into online soccer games
The?Chinese?Super?League?(CSL) said on Monday that it had signed a six-year partnership with Beijing-based developer Crazy Sports to develop?soccer-related?games?based on 16 CSL teams and the?league?through 2022
China's top-flightsoccerleaguehas signed adealwith a local developer to produceonlinesoccergamesin its firstforayinto gaming as it searches for new sources of revenue.
TheChineseSuperLeague(CSL) said on Monday that it had signed a six-year partnership with Beijing-based developer Crazy Sports to developsoccer-relatedgamesbased on 16 CSL teams and theleaguethrough 2022.
Fans ofsoccervideogamessuch as Electronic Arts Inc's top-selling FIFA franchise, have been closely watching the CSL's gaming plans as its deep-pocketed teams have recruited global stars such as Carlos Tevez, Oscar and Hulk in recent months.
EA in June poured cold water on rumors that the CSL would feature in "FIFA 18", the latest version of the franchise, citing licensing issues, according to sports website goal.com. EA hasdeals withleagues around the world including the English PremierLeagueand Italian Serie A.
Crazy Sports said the CSLdeal, that would give it non-exclusive rights, was worth over 100 million yuan ($15.02 million). Streaming revenue from the CSL-themedgamescould reach 1 billion yuan in 2020, the firm's chief executive Peng Xitao said.
"TheChineseSuperLeagueis dedicated to expanding the influence and commercial value of theleague. The development of CSL-themedgamesis a new revenue growth point for theleague," said CSL's chairman Ma Chengquan.
They said that they would also make thegames' content accessible to overseas gamers through European gaming partners From the Bench andSoccerManager.
Crazy Sports, which also previously ran anonlinelottery platform through a separate business tie-up until theChinesegovernment started banningonlinelottery sales in 2015, said it hoped to convert its over 100 million sports lottery users to play the CSLgames.
China'ssoccerindustry has lured in billions of yuan investment since President Xi Jinping, a self-professedsoccerfan who repeatedly expressed desire for China to host a World Cup and eventually win one, came to power in 2012.
A five-yeardealto broadcast thegamesin China was sold at a record-high 8 billion yuan in 2015 to China Sports Media.