China set to meet sport industry growth target with new era about to unfold

After a mixed decade for Chinese sport, changes are afoot

By 2025, predictions are that China’s sport industry will be worth US$500 billion, though it was always supposed to.

Ten years ago, this was the target set by government.

Market data for China always comes with caveats.

However, since 2014 China’s football boom has come and gone, Covid stalled the industry’s progress, and political intervention caused uncertainty in a sector that seemed to rapidly lose its lustre.

Yet China’s Olympic and Paralympic performances have become increasingly powerful, its sports infrastructure has continued to develop, and several of its corporations have become mainstays of the global sport landscape.

At the same time, domestically there has been a growth in sports participation, especially amongst middle class consumers, running, skiing, and tennis being especially popular.

With the 15th five-year communist plan due to be formulated next year, indications are that sport will again perform an important role.

However, rather than elite performance, it is anticipated that government will emphasise the significance of health, well-being, and mass participation.

This will have socio-cultural benefits, though we should expect economic benefits too.

For instance, China’s sportswear brands still harbour global ambitions and have been spending heavily on research and development, and branding, to capture market share both at home and abroad.

If more people engage with sport, then more running shows and track suits are inevitably sold.

Chinese market data does indeed come with caveats, indeed some observers have long questioned how seriously the country’s plans for sport have been.

Yet there is no doubt about potential market volume and about the population’s willingness to partake in exercise.

The next ten years in Chinese sport is likely to be somewhat different to the last ten years.