N.B.A. Imported To The Far East
N.B.A. plans to announce the formation of a Chinese subsidiary
In an age dominated by Chinese exports, one import from the United States has stood taller than most here: basketball. China is already the N.B.A.’s largest market outside the United States. Nearly a third of the traffic to NBA.com comes to the Mandarin Chinese side of the site. The N.B.A. estimates that 300 million Chinese play basketball, a number equal to the entire population of the United States. To head it, the league has chosen Timothy Chen, chief executive of Microsoft’s China operations and one of the best-known business executives in China.
How did a Microsoft guy get this job? The N.B.A.’s challenge has been to win government agencies’ approval for arena construction and to persuade television stations owned by local and provincial governments to join national broadcasters who already carry N.B.A. games. These challenges helped make Mr. Chen the best contender for the job. It wasn’t just about intellectual property; it was his experience in navigating difficult governmental and business issues. The league will own 90% of the China subsidiary while selling a 5% stake to a “U.S. media company” and another 5% to Chinese investors.
Just in time for the Olympics! What a coincidence. Contracts to sign left and right for Kobe.
