Chinese Super League increases in popularity among fans, investors

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02:42

The Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) has become increasingly popular among soccer fans and investors in recent years. The latest report by Deloitte shows that the league is enjoying momentum and will likely have a bright future.

The league has gained unprecedented attention since it was established 15 years ago. It now features 16 clubs and takes place annually from March to October.

In total, 240 games take place every year with clubs playing each other at home and away.

According to the Deloitte report, last year the CSL attracted over 690 million viewers through various media platforms. That's almost five times the number from 10 years ago, when television was the only source.

Chinese soccer fans are enthusiastic about the Chinese Super League. /CGTN photo

For fans, the booming market is a growing attraction.

"Every season, I won't even miss a single game. CSL is getting a better sporting atmosphere, more fans, and more commercial attention. And I think it's gaining more influence in the world," a fan of Beijing Guoan, a soccer club of CSL, said.

Many foreigners in China also come to different venues to watch live games or have fun watching them online.

"Chinese Super League is fantastic, just like the Premier League. Everybody comes at the end of the week. Everybody looks forward to the game. Everybody talks about the game, and it has fantastic players," a man from England said.

According to Deloitte, such changes are mostly due to favorable policies and a high market demand. In the past three years alone, the government has invested over 20 billion yuan into the sport and 50,000 pitches have been built.

China has increasingly become an attractive destination for world-class overseas talent... which adds to the excitement.

Many factors are contributing to the sport's fast growth.

The Chinese Super League is gaining momentum with many foreign players joining the games. /CGTN photo

Crystal Wang, a partner of Deloitte China said that apart from the macro drivers to the overall national sports industry, the uplift of the game quality, as well as the innovative commercial model brought by the new media players are also the key drivers behind the success of CSL in recent years.

However, there are also challenges.

Wei Yidong, a football commentator, said that despite the fact that the CSL is rising, it still needs real standardization and professionalism in its management.

“It seems CSL has not made big enough strides in this sector despite the improvements in the market. We should be thinking about the future and achieving bigger success," Wei said.

For him and many other observers, Chinese soccer needs deeper reform to rise from its low global ranking.

This includes policies on how to engage younger fans, how to develop a holistic media strategy and how to balance the commercial interests of the clubs and the league.