Perks for fans: ice hockey boosts presence in China

Above is an exclusive interview with Dave Hopkinson, chief commercial officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) on Friday, April 4, 2014.

(ECNS) -- This season ice hockey fans in China have been enjoying pro hockey games on television.

A deal between China Central Television's Sports Channel and the National Hockey League (NHL) has broadcast scores of games this season, 11 of which have been Toronto Maple Leafs games.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the company that owns the Maple Leafs, is indisputably the NHL's most valuable franchise and is seizing the opportunity to expand globally.

"It's not a direct money maker for our hockey club," said Dave Hopkinson, chief commercial officer of MLSE. "It's really to grow our brand internationally. As NHL hockey moves globally, we want to make sure the Maple Leafs are there first."

Hopkinson is currently visiting China to talk about potential cooperation opportunities.

Statistics show that roughly 300,000 Chinese households, or one million viewers, watch the broadcasts on average.

The number "exceeds expectations," Hopkinson said.

On one hand, the game is still new to many in China, where big snows are the privilege of a few cities in the north. On the other, an increasing number of Chinese kids are playing ice hockey for fun or for competition.

"We're surprised that a couple thousand young people play hockey here in Beijing," Hopkinson said. "And it's our obligation to support them."

Hopkinson said MLSE plans to offer equipment and programs to help them grow faster.

MLSE experimented with advertisements in Mandarin Chinese on rink boards at a match-up game last Saturday between the Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at the Air Canada Center. The move, as MLSE put in a news release, was to target the Chinese community in Canada as well as the audience in China.

"We hope that when Chinese people think about hockey, they'll first and foremost think about the Maple Leafs," Hopkinson said.

The company is also talking with NBA China to improve the broadcast schedule and explore potential possibilities to invite the Toronto Raptors, the basketball club owned by MLSE, to play preseason in China.

Hopkinson's China trip also includes conversations with Chinese companies for sponsorship opportunities.

By Qian Ruisha   Editor: Wang Fan