TikTok Becomes A Chinese Company To Sponsor Euro 2020 In Addition To Hisense, Alipay, And Vivo

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Four companies from China have become official sponsors of several national teams and the holding of the 2020 European Cup. Hisense, Alipay, Vivo, and TikTok are sponsors of the national team and organizers of the European Cup along with several companies from other countries, such as FedEx, Booking.com, Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, and Qatar Airways.

Electronics company Hisense and the British Embassy in Beijing invited 400 football fans to watch together on the evening of Sunday 13 June.

"This year and next year will be big years for organizing several sporting events because there are the European Cup, Olympics, and World Cup. This is the perfect time for our brand to show off our skills", Hisense said in a statement quoted by China's official media, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, June 15.

The short video sharing platform TikTok has gained immense popularity in a number of countries. Global industry observers rate TitTok as one of the most successful Chinese products worldwide.

"Sports, especially football, are very popular with European consumers. Sponsoring the European Cup serves as a bridge between products and audiences", said Zhang Qing, CEO of Key Solution Sports Co, a sports industry consulting firm in China.

According to him, in the 1980s Japanese companies became sports sponsors at the international level, while in the 1990s it was the turn of South Korean companies.

"Now, China's companies are more competitive, such as electronics, home appliances, cell phones, and information technology. The entrants are now at the forefront", Zhang said.

Vivo has been expanding into the European market since October 2020. In February 2021, Vivo entered the Romanian and Czech markets. Thus, the Chinese cellular phone company has penetrated 12 European countries.