August 27, 2010

The NBA…where partnerships with Chinese film studios happen.

The NBA is partnering with Chinese film company Shanghai Film Group (SFG) to produce a Chinese-language movie for Asian audiences.  The film, entitled Amazing, will pair NBA superstars Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and others with top actors and actresses from Asia.

It is the first time the NBA has partnered with a non-U.S. film studio to release a major film overseas.

It is also the first time Shanghai Film Group, the largest cinema chain in China, has partnered with a U.S. sports league.

As for the film itself, it is set to debut next summer.  The plot?  It’s a story about young people who achieve their dreams through hard work.  The cast includes China film and TV star Huang Xiaoming; south Korean actress and model Kim A. Joong; and Eric Mabius, an American actor who recently appeared in “Ugly Betty.”

Of course, the NBA has long since had a foothold in the Chinese marketplace.

The NBA launched NBA China in 2008 with Disney/ESPN, Bank of China Group Investment, Legend Holdings, China Merchant Group, and Li Ka Shing Foundation, who collectively contributed $253 million. The league also formed a joint venture with AEG to develop NBA-style arenas in the nation. The Shanghai World Expo Culture Center was unveiled on May 1.

The NBA’s marketing partners in China include 7-11 Stores, Adidas, Akamai, Amway, Cisco, Coca Cola, EA Sports, Everbright Bank, Gatorade, Lenovo, Nike, Spalding, Toyota, and Visa.

NBA games and programming are available on 51 television and digital media outlets in greater China and NBA.com/China now ranks as the largest basketball Internet site in China for traffic.

The league also has eight retail stores in China at the Shanghai World Expo Culture Center. And the NBA says that branded merchandise is located in more than 30,000 retail locations, with sales up 100% this fiscal year. Kobe Bryant topped the NBA jersey sales in China for the third consecutive year, per the NBA. Yao Ming ranks 6th.

The NBA will return to play its fifth set of pre-season games in China when the Houston Rockets and the New Jersey Nets play in Beijing and Guangzhou this October as part of NBA China Games 2010. (via Mediapost)

Again, look for Amazing in theaters sometime next summer.

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