Chinese ads presence at Euro 2024 ignite abuzz

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.

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.

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.

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.