Chinese fans abuzz over Chinese ads presence at Euro 2024

Consumer electronics and applicances manufacturer Hisense's advertisement is seen during the Group B match between Spain and Croatia in Berlin, Germany on June 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

Chinese companies are making a strong showing at the ongoing UEFA Euro 2024 as official sponsors.

BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A significant presence of Chinese-language advertisements at the European Football Championships has recently ignited a widespread discussion on Chinese social media.

Chinese viewers have been frequently exposed to these advertisements, such as Chinese automaker BYD and payment service platform Alipay, during live broadcasts of the tournament.

While virtual advertising solutions have contributed to the effect, the presence of Chinese companies is prominent at Euro 2024 with five out of the total 13 top sponsors coming from China.

Chinese automaker BYD's advertisement is seen during the Group B match between Croatia and Albania in Hamburg, Germany on June 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

Discussions about "Chinese companies going global" surged on Chinese social media platform Weibo, having attracted over 100 million views and tens of thousands of comments.

Many Chinese netizens remarked that "seeing so many familiar companies was like watching the Chinese Super League".

This is the first time that the championship has used virtual real-time advertising techniques, which can replace the advertisements on the LED boards surrounding the pitch with tailor-made display targeting specific markets on live-streaming.

Audiences from host Germany and the United States will also see customized advertisements in German and English.

Payment service platform Alipay's advertisement is seen during the Group D match between Austria and France in Dusseldorf, Germany, on June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

For the European football governing body UEFA, the introduction of the new technology has opened up new possibilities for market development in the high-profile event.

As a Euro 2024 top sponsor, Chinese Ant Group showcased brands such as Alipay and Ant Fortune to the Chinese audience in Chinese, while promoting its global brands Alipay+, WorldFirst and Antom to international fans in English.

"This is included in our sponsorship benefits and it's a natural choice to promote different brands to different markets," said a spokesman from Ant Group.

Non-sponsors will have to buy separate virtual advertising rights.

A list of UEFA Euro 2024 official sponsors.

Targeting China's vast market, international sponsors such as Qatar Tourism and Booking.com also chose to use Mandarin for their advertisements to Chinese viewers.

"This reflects the financial strength of Chinese companies and the importance of the Chinese market," commented a Chinese web user.

Sponsoring the championship has always been seen as a worthwhile investment by large corporations.

In the year of Euro 2016, the Chinese consumer electronics giant Hisense reportedly saw market sales in Europe increase by nearly 35 percent, with sales in host country France soaring by almost 300 percent.