China

German Bundesliga football team VfL Wolfsburg has entered into a partnership with Chinese tyre manufacturer Linglong Tire in a move that will strengthen the club’s ties to the Asian country.

Chinese swimwear company Hosa has signed up as the new title sponsor of the 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup.

Nutrition brand IVC signed a multi-year deal in October to become English Premier League club Manchester United’s first Official Chinese Wellness Partner and the fifth regional partner to have signed up or renewed during the 2014-15 season.

NBA basketball team Brooklyn Nets has signed sponsorship deals with sportswear company Anta and digital products distributor Lava Tech to enhance its presence in the Chinese market.

Asian sportswear and apparel brand Peak has renewed a sponsorship deal with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

English Premier League football club Manchester United has announced a multi-year partnership with IVC to make the global nutritional supplements company its first official Chinese wellness partner.

Chinese telecommunications company Huawei aims to use football sponsorship to increase brand awareness and drive sales in the Spanish market.

Chinese sportswear company Anta has reached an agreement with North American basketball league the NBA to become an official marketing and merchandising partner of its NBA China division.

Global brand awareness and active customer engagement are the drivers behind Czech car manufacturer Škoda’s sponsorship programme.

Raising global brand awareness and technology showcasing is key to Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot’s sponsorship strategy.

Car maker FAW-Volkswagen has signed up as a commercial partner of the China national basketball team and the country’s Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League.

Chinese truck maker, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company (DFCV), has a clear medium to long-term business development plan for its global expansion and is using sponsorship as a tool to raise awareness of the brand.

Chinese truck maker, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company, acquired 70 per cent of the branding and hospitality rights to the Dongfeng Race Team, an entrant in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race which sets off from Alicante, Spain in October.

Global logistics giant DHL has agreed a deal to partner the Chinese Super League, the country’s top football division.

Electronic and technological goods retail chain Suning Company has become the first Chinese partner of Spanish Liga football club Barcelona.

Solar energy technology company Hanergy has signed up as an official partner of the Beijing ePrix, the inaugural race on the International Motorsport Federation’s (FIA) Formula E Championship electric car-racing calendar.