January 29 – Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Premier League are the most popular football brands in China’s digital media, but a newly launched David Beckham platform shows there is still power in the old warhorse’s name.
The 10th edition of the Mailman Red Card: China Digital Performance Index covers a record year of inline growth and engagement in China. Top of football’s personalities for the third year running is Cristiano Ronaldo, while the Premier League was the most popular league and FC Barcelona the most popular club.
Ronaldo grew his social media following by 7 million followers within the first month of launching on short-form video platform Kuaishou as an ambassador ambassador. The launch helped double his total China social following.
Overall Mailman points to a 15% drop in social output and a 12% drop in engagement by non-Chinese players. “More significant was the drop in follower growth, from 35 million in 2019 to less than 3 million in 2020. Despite China being known as an ‘icon market’, there is a clear flattening of the curve when it comes to player follower growth,” said Mailman.
David Beckham’s launch on Douyin, gaining 1.5 million followers in the first three days, made him the most engaged overseas football celebrity to post on the platform. His original content reached 4.3 million engagements, more than any other active or former footballer on the platform.
Despite a fractious broadcast dispute with its rightsholder over lockdown scheduling, the Premier League remains the popular overseas league for China’s football fans.
Richard Masters, Premier League chief executive said: “Football fans in China have shown their loyal and passionate support for Premier League clubs for many years, so we are proud to have won the Red Card award again. Our innovative digital coverage has continued to evolve and prove popular with fans in China, at a time when the importance of digital content in people’s lives has been emphasised during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to provide new ways for fans in the country to engage with the Premier League, as we look at developing our digital presence in China.”
RED CARD REPORT WINNERS:
- Most Popular Club Online: FC Barcelona
- Most Popular League Online: Premier League
- Most Popular Player Online: Cristiano Ronaldo
DIGITAL AWARD WINNERS:
- Best Original Production: Real Madrid
- Best Sponsorship Activation: Paris Saint-Germain & Accor
- Best CSR Initiative: Inter Milan
- Best Live Stream: Chelsea FC
- Best Creative Campaign: FC Bayern Munich
- Best Ecommerce Initiative: Wolverhampton Wanderers
PLATFORM AWARD WINNERS:
- Most Influential on Weibo: Manchester City
- Most Viewed on Douyin: Premier League
Leading clubs:
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