BEIJING, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Boxing Federation of China (IBF China) announced a strategic cooperation with Chinese pay-per-view sports streaming platform LE SPORTS at a news conference held at Beijing Nuo Hotel on May 23.
Along with LE SPORTS and Rejoy Group, the promotor of IBF China professional boxing tournaments, IBF China signed a three-sided agreement and announced that LE SPORTS will have the right to live webcasting of all IBF China professional boxing tournament bouts over the next five years, while Rejoy Group will be responsible for the promotion of the brand and the operation of the events.
IBF develops fast in China
IBF/USBA President Daryl J. Peoples, IBF China President Wang Ruihang, Chairman of IBF China's Strategy Committee He Wenyi, Chairman of IBF China Referee Committee Zhang Xudong, IBF China's Deputy Secretary-General and spokesman Xiao Rongqiang, CCO of LE SPORTS Liu Jianhong, Deputy President of LE SPORTS Intelligence and Deputy President of Rejoy Group Wu Di attended the event.
IBF China President Wang Ruihang said, "Although the IBF entered the Chinese market late, it has developed very rapidly in the country. IBF China has held more than 30 fights nationwide in the last year and it will hold a world championship bout this year, so the progress is marvelous."
Meanwhile, different from other boxing associations who only hold a few higher-level fights each year, IBF China will not only hold top fights like the IBF world champion bout, it will also lay a solid foundation for amateur match-ups in the country.
Through establishing China's first professional boxing tournaments, IBF China aims to promote professional boxing in China, enhance the foundations of the sport in the country, and propel Chinese boxing onto the world stage.
Mr. Peoples said the boxing market is developing rapidly in Asia, particularly in China, and due to IBF China's robust performance in 2015, IBF headquarters decided to arrange the 2016 Annual IBF Global Convention in Beijing. He said IBF headquarters is very pleased to see China's boxing boom, and is willing to bring the successful experiences from the U.S. to China.
On the occasion, Deputy Secretary General and spokesman of IBF China Xiao Rongqiang summarized the organization's accomplishments in the last year and introduced the updated data of the registered boxers in the organization.
IBF China held more than 30 tournaments in several cities including Beijing, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Jinan in 2015 and has more than 300 registered boxers.
Wu Di, the deputy president of Rejoy Group said, "As the showpiece event of 2016, the IBF world championship bout will be broadcast live by CCTV5 and LE SPORTS, after which 2016 IBF China professional boxing tournaments will be officially launched. We plan to promote 100 fights in six cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zhenzhou and Sanya.
Cooperation with LE SPORTS to forge PPV model
With the development of IBF China professional boxing tournaments, the broadcasting rights have attracted more and more willing partners. LE SPORTS, as the market leading online sports company, will cooperate with IBF China to promote domestic professional boxing tournaments. This is really a bonus for the development of China's boxing industry.
Liu Jianhong, the CCO of LE SPORTS said, "The IBF is a brilliant boxing brand with great global influence, it has affluent boxer resources with good quality and a great number of appealing events. LE SPORTS is very optimistic about China's professional boxing market.
"From now on, LE SPORTS will enjoy the rights of live webcasting all the bouts of IBF China's tournaments in the next five years. We will offer the best online watching experience and service for Chinese fans, and jointly explore the PPV model of watching live sports with IBF China in order to promote the development of China's boxing industry."
This year, LE SPORTS has set a new high in absorbing members, gaining more than 330 million on April 4 alone. According to third party statistics, China has more than 80 million boxing fans, and the number of viewers is increasing consistently, so the business value of boxing is enormous. "The win-win cooperation between IBF China and LE SPORTS will definitely accelerate the professionalization progress of the sport in the country," added Liu.
Li Dalong, the vice president of LE SPORTS Intelligent, said, "The company's advantages not only lie in its copyright resources and its brilliant broadcasting platform, but its forging the LE SPORTS ecology intelligently which is based on the affluent games, so LE SPORTS will have more cooperation with IBF China in the coming years."
On the occasion, Li was elected as the chairman of the IBF China's Science and Technology Committee, highlighting that IBF China will promote professional boxing from multiple dimensions. .
Representatives of IBF China, judges and boxers also made speeches at the event, expressing their confidence in the Chinese boxing market and firm support and trust of IBF China.
