QSL Clinches Famous Brands as Sponsors to China's National Basketball League

BEIJING, April 12 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- QSL Sports Limited (QSL) today announced that the Company has successfully signed on several sponsors and partners for China's National Basketball League (NBL). The sponsorships come on the heels of QSL's announcement back in February this year that it announced its investment in the NBL and signing of an exclusive contract to promote, reform and manage NBL in collaboration with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Mainland China's leading global beer brand, Tsingtao Beer, leading Chinese home-grown sports brand Li Ning, Asia's largest food and beverage conglomerate Uni-President, the world's largest jewelry chain Chow Tai Fook, Italian automotive Ferrari's Chinese domestic dealership group and Italian fashion design house Moschino have confirmed their sponsorships to support the NBL in the upcoming season. The amount of total sponsorship exceeds RMB500 million.

In addition to these commercial sponsorships, Shanghai Media Group (SMG), one of mainland China's leading media conglomerates, has signed on for NBL's exclusive broadcasting rights. Over 200 NBL games and highlights will be broadcast nationwide via SMG's broadcasting media consisting of 11 analogue TV channels (including two national satellite TV channels), 90 digital paid cable TV channels, a full broadcasting Internet TV service, along with 10 analogue and 19 digital radio services. Chinese leading internet portal tom.com has committed as the official NBL website.

QSL is privately owned by Mr. Kenneth Huang and his well-respected business partner Mr. Adrian Cheng. Mr. Huang and Mr. Cheng also co-founded QSL Youth Sports Development Foundation, which is the largest sports-related charity fund for underprivileged children in China. Last year, Huang was voted by the BQ magazine and Sina.com as the number one philanthropist celebrity in China.

In June 2009, the company obtained an exclusive 15-year management right of CYBL, China Youth Baseball League, before its entry of the Chinese basketball industry. Recently QSL sponsored the New York Yankees World Championship trophy tour in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

QSL Sports also confirmed that its two co-founders and co-chairmen Huang and Cheng do not hold any stake personally in Cleveland Cavaliers of NBA in the US. Since QSL's first investment in the CBA team Jilin Northeast Tiger (now Long-run Tea Basketball Team), the Company has decided to turn its focus onto the NBL. QSL is committed to bringing more international elements into the Chinese basketball league as well as focusing on supporting the domestic players.

Last month, NBL just announced details of its new season, which will be open on June 6 and will last till August 29. The pre-qualification competition round deciding the last two seeds for the regular season teams is already under way in Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, from April 10th to 18th. This year's NBL will have 10 out of 18 teams competing on the complete home-and- away system. QSL has signed on an eight-year exclusive management rights of NBL with the central government with an extension option for another eight years. According to the latest data, CBA estimates the basketball population in China is approximately 300 million people.

SOURCE QSL Sports Limited