Swiss watch manufacturer Tag Heuer has rekindled its ties with the Chinese Basketball Association, the sport’s top-tier league in the country.
Tag Heuer has been named as the official timekeeper of the CBA, replacing fellow Swiss brand Tissot in the role. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed but it will be effective from the 2017-18 season.
Tag Heuer first partnered with the league in September 2015, but the two parties’ relationship lasted just two months after the Infront Sports & Media agency, the CBA’s marketing partner, terminated the deal. At the time, Tag Heuer claimed that Infront sought to terminate the contract without just cause.
Tissot’s subsequently announced deal had been due to run through the 2019-20 season but Tag Heuer has now assumed timekeeping responsibilities with the CBA.
The Caixin Global website reported that CBA fans have complained that Tissot’s timekeeping has not been up to standard, and the league has now moved to appoint Tag Heuer as a replacement.
Caixin Global said Tag Heuer in February won around CNY1m ((€128,000/$152,000) in damages from the CBA through the lawsuit it filed surrounding the termination of the previous partnership.