Opinion | How Chinese corporations are leading the way in country’s global grab for football

The mooted deal is laden with a whole series of issues, ranging from the receptiveness to and willingness of audiences to pay for television, through to the role that football plays in soft power projection. Yet it is PPTV’s part-owner, the Suning Commerce Group (SCG) that is of particular interest, both for the way in which it has rapidly become an influential player in football and for the way in which it characterises the importance of corporate China in the country’s pursuit of its vision for sport.

SCG operates a franchised store network across China, the company’s core business involving the sale of televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, digital and information technology products, and so forth. Significantly, SCG also runs an online commerce platform which sells books, household goods, health products, and (please note) content products.