EXTENDED: Win Tickets to the Kerry Hotel Beijing's Super Bowl Party!

UPDATE Tues Jan 28, 12.38pm: Contest extended until Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 12pm! Keep submitting those entries!

The big game is less than a week away! The Denver Broncos will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII (48), and the Beijinger is pleased to the media partner for the NFL's official Super Bowl party in Beijing, taking place at the Kerry Hotel Beijing. We have two pairs of tickets for the event to give away (see details at the bottom of this page)!

This year's NFL championship, held in the New Jersey/New York area for the first time, will be broadcast live in the early hours (local Beijing time) of Monday, February 3. The good news is since it's during Spring Festival, you won't have to take the morning off from work to see it.

Kerry Hotel Beijing will be hosting the annual NFL live broadcast of the game beginning at 7am. The event features the game, the full halftime show (this year's artist is Bruno Mars), and all commercials. Full breakfast buffet, unlimited Budweiser, and Super Bowl snacks, like nachos and hot wings, will be served. Tickets are RMB 300 per person, and RMB 188 for children under 12. Tables are available for RMB 2,880 for 10 people.

The first 50 ticket buyers will receive a free football giveaway. To reserve, call 156 1190 6329, or email: fbreservations.hkbc@thekerryhotels.com.

Kerry Hotel Beijing most recently hosted NFL legend Joe Montana in November, featuring a question and answer with the four-time Super Bowl winner, and a photo opportunity with Montana for everyone who attended.

So, to win a pair of tickets, provide us your best answer to the following question: What does the NFL have to do to make American football as popular as the NBA or soccer in China? Leave us a comment in the comments section below. We'll choose the best two answers at 5pm Tuesday, January 28 noon on Wednesday, January 29. All decisions regarding the answers by True Run Media and the Beijinger are final. Good luck!

Photo: NY Daily News

Comments

New comments are displayed first.

As everyone mentioned here, there are a lot of good ideas to help spread football to China that would help build international connections, increase revenue for the league and improve the quality of the sport. While these reader suggestions are sound and in the long term may have a slight impact on viewers and participation in China, I don’t feel that football will ever become a world renowned sport on the scale of soccer and to a lesser extent, basketball. This may be disconcerting to the NFL, GMs, advertisers, apparel brands, etc. as they cannot access the large consumer base in China, yet I feel that this inability to push the sport across different nations is ultimately a positive thing.

I understand the NFL’s desire to increase popularity in China, however from a cultural standpoint I disagree with their motives. Football is an American institute starting from pee-wee football, through high school and college ranks. Most American cities in the South are fixated on football from Friday-Sunday night watching football throughout each season. This has been the case for decades and thus football has become embedded into the fabric of society. It would be a steep task to develop a similar interest based solely on professional football without the connection to football that Americans have. A similar failure is evident in the European Football League (EFL) where money and viewers are low. And, these leagues are made up of mostly American players instead of the nationals that fans may prefer to see.

I think it is wholly acceptable that in today’s world of globalization that countries have their own sports, customs, traditions that are localized and don’t need to be spread thinly around the world. It’s fine that most people are not interested in football in other countries; it has been the most popular sport in America for the past 30 years and that should be what the NFL wants to maintain and grow. Football in America is so much more than the NFL; it is a connection with friends, teachers, coaches, family that has been in our minds and on our TVs since we were young. The interest for the sport isn’t evident in other countries. The NFL should accept that and try to continually improve the sport and experience for people throughout the country.

Just registerred this account for the ticket and question:

I noticed almost all prior comments are made by foreigner who now are staying in Beijing, so, as a 100% local Beijinger (born here) and had sevearl years of overseas experience in the states, I am here to offer some local perspective coupled with the understanding of the U.S's most popular sport.

For the American football to gain success here as NBA/Soccer:

I think the key factors to this question are still marketing as well as effective filteration/promotion of this sport in China.

NFL need to do more marketing about the sport itself in China, and find a way to promote this sports in China. If high schools and universities have football league, and more local people join this sport, supports and fans of football will greatly increase. Now I thin the fundemental for this is ready for big cities in China. Besides, your marketing strategy is in line with the promotion of the football: NFL star cards released here (simliar to NBA start cards), friendly matches with local teams, NFL teams come to China and play footballs here, set up local championship etc. Also, use the e media to do marketing, and also target Chinese with overseas background. Now we have more and more 'Haigui' so they could be driving forces of letting more local people know the charm of this sports. Expats from the U.S in China will certainly support this sport as well.

Finally, look forward to watching the superbowl over the CNY holiday!

100% Beijinger~

Designated Drinker wrote:

I keep reading "Just draft a few chinese players"....are you high or just had a habit of eating paint chips at a young age???

First the NFL doesn't draft players...Team GM's do or in the case of the Cowboys a dillusional old man..

Second, if my team (NINERS) used a draft pick or GOD forbid a few draft picks to select a few dongbei manchilds there would be a riot and more than likely a few newly unemployed guys at the local unemployment office.

But to answer your question....Give away free equipment, some rules, and have them get after it.

Basketball and Soccer work in other countries because those countries are typically dirt poor and all you really need to play Soccer is a can or rock to kick around. Moving up the socio-economic ladder is the game of basketball where one may require an actual ball and a air pump......

Last...i dont care for these tickets as the Kerry Party sucks and is a terrible corporate atmosphere that doesnt allow true absurd drunken revelry at 6am....

LOL I look forward to your team getting bought out by the Chinese, that would be F**KING HILARIOUS.

1. Expand T.V. coverage here in Beijing. It would be REALLY cool if we could get the Red Zone here. That way folks could see the most thrilling aspects of the game.

2. Develop NFL-sponsored flag/touch footbal teams on the high school and college levels in the major Chinese cities.

3. Do a few commercials with popular main land China athletes. (E.g., Li Na at a Superbowl part in Beijing with NFL Cheerleaders. (Hey; Chicks Rule, man)).

3b. Do a few commercials with heavy-weight Chinese movie stars.

3c. Show more Peyton manning comercials. They're hillarious.

I am American and I think the NFL was marketed and branded to be known as an "all american" sport. ALL aspects of the sport has been Americanized. It will take some strategic planning and time to create a new brand that is appealing universally and internationally. It can be done but the idea of football being American has been imprinted into the minds of humans. An idea in the mind is a very hard thing to change without time and careful planning. I hope to see it become popular all over the world one day!

Truly Experience the World

TrueInternationalcn@gmail.com

I keep reading "Just draft a few chinese players"....are you high or just had a habit of eating paint chips at a young age???

First the NFL doesn't draft players...Team GM's do or in the case of the Cowboys a dillusional old man..

Second, if my team (NINERS) used a draft pick or GOD forbid a few draft picks to select a few dongbei manchilds there would be a riot and more than likely a few newly unemployed guys at the local unemployment office.

But to answer your question....Give away free equipment, some rules, and have them get after it.

Basketball and Soccer work in other countries because those countries are typically dirt poor and all you really need to play Soccer is a can or rock to kick around. Moving up the socio-economic ladder is the game of basketball where one may require an actual ball and a air pump......

Last...i dont care for these tickets as the Kerry Party sucks and is a terrible corporate atmosphere that doesnt allow true absurd drunken revelry at 6am....

The NFL needs to draft a few Chinese players onto some of the teams in American cities that have a heavy Chinese presence I.E Sanfransico, L.A., Seattle. We have all seen what Jermey Lin & Yao Ming have done for Basketball. Adding a few Chinese players & really trying to push & market these guys will raise the profile of the NFL in China, as well as make more Chinese Americans fans.

Second the NFL needs to workout some kind of broadcasting deal with Chinese TV providers, similar to the NBA deal. If the Chinese cannot even watch it, how are they going to start to like it ? A headlong rush into mass-marketing the NFL is not going to Change Chinese attitudes overnight, they need to be exsposed to it for some time. After they have been exsposed to the NFL for awhile, and there has been some Chinese players, then the NFL can begin to try marketing in China, using the establised Chinese players as brand ambasadors.

After Chinese have been watching the NFL on TV for a year or two, and have some idea of how the game works, and there are some established Chinese players they can relate to, then maybe the NFL can organize a few annual games in China consisting of the top American Football Stars squareing off against eachother, kind of like the Harlem Globe Trotters of Football. Tennis and Soccer are both games Chinese have been exsposed to for a long time, so they can easily relate to them & jump on the bandwagon, but American football is a sport the Chinese do not play, and thus they have no concept of how it works, so it's going to take awhile to them to wrap their heads around it & become fans.

The NFL’s popularity in countries outside the US is a problem facing the sport across the world. It is a purely American sport that has struggled to find fans outside of the US. Below are several steps the NFL has to take in order to gain popularity in China.

First off, education is the primary opponent they must tackle. The lack of interest in football from international to even casual American fans stems from the lack of understanding about the game. Watching a game with an uninitiated fan and explaining the intricacies of offensive and defensive schemes while wading through the numerous flags and stoppages is an exercise in frustration and futility. Combine this with a three and a half hour game that is peppered with commercials pertaining to American trucks, watered down beer and male enhancement pills and I can undoubtedly identify with the sports’ lack of interest. Therefore, a solid understanding of rules, formation, and outcomes is necessary for interest to form. There have already been steps to remedy this situation as seen through live streams on PPTV. During commercial breaks in the games, rules, formations and schemes are presented in an easy to understand manner from top minds in the NFL. A greater effort to spread education about the game itself will certainly yield better understanding and an enhanced interest in the game.

Along with knowledge about the game, an understanding about the players is also needed. There’s no question the import of Yao Ming lead to an explosion of interest in an already ardent Chinese basketball fan base. The most obvious way for this to translate into the NFL is through a Chinese player to break into the NFL. The best way for this to happen is through government funded and grassroots organizations targeting youth sport development. Most are well aware of the inherent flaws present in the Chinese Olympic Development Organizations, so hopefully we can steer clear of this and focus more on summer and after school football programs. Here is a great article about people who are moving in the right direction and working tirelessly to spread football in China. http://grantland.com/features/examining-effort-establish-football-china/ This lack of organization at youth levels is a major reason why China has failed to develop not only NFL talent, but more world class NBA and soccer players. There are no nationwide youth development programs that are on the same level as American youth development leagues and Europe’s youth soccer leagues. These organizations give a fun, competitive and social method of playing sport and learning valuable skills. China’s current structure in regards to youth development isn’t on par with these countries and the lack of world class international athletes (in football/basketball/soccer) reflects that.

Finally, the major attraction of football in my eyes is the aspect of community. Never outside of China have I watched a football game by myself. Having done so in China numerous times on a Monday morning just hasn’t had the same feel, and I’m sure it isn’t because of the time difference. It is because the lack of energy and atmosphere that makes the games so enjoyable in America. Drinking, shouting and camaraderie are the things that really make the sport great. Therefore, for China to find a greater audience, it is important for there to be some kind of community and football atmosphere. The Kerry Center’s football party is a great example of the impact community can have. I anticipate a great crowd of friends and strangers bonding together to shout at overgrown men running with a ball which is commonplace in most living rooms and bars across American every Sunday during the season. More opportunities for events like this will help form a strong and passionate fan base that goes outside the realm of sport and into the hearts of spectators.

Implementing these ideas is an arduous process, yet if implanted properly, can have a huge impact on the viewership, participation and interest of NFL across China.

Thanks

Great question. NFL, here are your 3 keys to success in the Chinese market:

1) Promote the league by playing exhibition games in major metropolitan centres here in China - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou... Nothing generates local interest better than an event held in your backyard. This is a chance for the Chinese to see these larger-than-life athletes up close, to get a feel for the game, and to experience all of the peripheral activities that go on with exhibition events like these - workshops for kids, press conferences, autograph signings, etc. People have to see it and feel it, then they can relate a bit more to what they see on the screen.

2) Develop local talent here in China. Soccer and basketball are deeply imbedded in the sport culture here in China - but that was not always the case, especially for basketball. With the success of first Wang Zhizhi and then Yao Ming in the NBA, basketball popularity soared in this country. The Chinese, like many other nationalities, love backing their superstar athletes. Look at how many viewers watched the Australian Open women's final! The point is, football wise, there needs to be an opportunity for talent to be discovered/developed for Chinese athletes to be successful in the sport. This starts at a young age - through schools, clubs, community centres. Youth is the key!

3) Aggressive marketing. This is nothing new to a business - and let's be clear, the NFL is a business. The Chinese market needs exposure to all things football - games, jerseys, merchandise, personalities, video games... The NFL needs a big push in the beginning because as of now, there is virtually nothing to identify with here in China, in terms of football. TV contracts, billboards, commercials, relationships/shares in sports stores (eg. Li Ning)... basically, as all things business related, it comes with a big $ value attached, but I think the NFL can afford it - especially with the payoff!

Thanks for reading!

First, the NFL could push for American football to become an Olympic sport, but unfortunately I don't think there is any likelihood of this happening.

They should scout one or more Chinese dudes to play in the NFL. If a Chinese athlete made it in the NFL there would be a lot of interest over here.

CCTV-5 would then have to show plenty of live games and highlight reels to drum up interest.

The NFL would next have to capitalize on this nascent interest by investing a heap load of money on equipment and facilities for schools and universities throughout China and make a concerted effort to develop the sport at grassroots level.

Unless people actually play the sport recreationally the chances of it becoming a major spectator sport are slim.

NFL players/teams should be endorsing more Chinese brands, or other brands within China. Look at Beckham, he's all over Adidas and H&M and he's pretty well-known. I can't walk past the men's dept in H&M without having a huge picture of his package all up in my grill (not that I mind in the least). Traning camps like they do in the U.S. would also be a hit, I'm sure.

I'm not American myself, so I can understand first-hand some of the issues the NFL faces when trying to appeal to foreign fans. Somebody mention a key point, it's not played at schools here, so they don't relate to it so easily. If I had to suggest a strategy, the first step is getting people to understand the basics of the game, and make it more accessible to young people, as a means to generate interest. Having events, like NFL experience, or even better, a game (even if it's pre-season) would go a long way.

All of that, would get a bigger boost if a Chinese, or Chinese-American player made it into an NFL roster.

Sadihy

P.S. I would be remiss in not mentioning that it was great to watch the Pro Bowl this morning streaming live on http://nfl.pptv.com/live2/ on the home computer and without hiccups.

Nice morning surprise to watch the live feed there with Al Michaels and Chris Collingsworth.

thebeijinger wrote:

What does the NFL have to do to make American football as popular as the NBA or soccer in China?

Both basketball and football (soccer) are entrenched here because both sports are played at the school level. Students can kill their free-time easily by going to the school's b-ball courts or football field and kick around or dribble around a big, round ball. Then back to the dorms and watch the NBA or Premier League, etc. on the Chinese Internet or, when at home, on CCTV.

Both baseball (MLB) and the NFL have been trying to make inroads here. Their main problem is, of course, they're not a sport "native" to China. Well, neither were basketball or football (soccer), though some natives will argue the latter. But both are huge here now. Why? Access, I think. These American sports begin early in American schools (as does basketball and, these days, soccer). In China, the latter two are easily accomodated at all schools. Throw up some b-ball courts and a pitch and the students are out there. Not much more organization needed.

American football and baseball, on the other hand, require a bit more equipment (cost) to the players/students, explanations of rules and "how to play", and scheduling. A bunch of students with most of the proper baseball or football equipment can't, from experience, just walk into the school's "playground" and simply set up a game. For one, the rest of the students playing soccer on an ad hoc basis will not easily cede "playground" space enough so other interested students can exercise their inner MLB or NFL.

I've been in China for a few years and for 5 of them was the "baseball coach" at one of the few Chinese universities (less than 30 at that time) that had baseball teams. And in the region I was in at that time, we were the only team, so just scrimmaging was a major task. Too, it took about one year for us to be declared an "official" sport of the university, which was nice when it came through because it gave us the "power" to walk onto one of the many university fields at any given time and throw off the students playing footie so we could practice/scrimmage. The rest of the student body sooned learned that Sunday afternoons on Field #1 were reserved for the baseball team.

As far as American football, the one and only time I tried it out with my students, it was more like rugby without the tackling and everyone trying to kick the ball and pass (lateral) it if someone tossed it to them.

But I had faith in baseball, because it was relatively easily learned by my students, accomodated all types of players-tall, short, fast, slow, skinny, fat (especiaaly useful for catchers). In short, on the field, there was a place for everyone's diverse skill-sets. It's the perfect sport in an area where not everyone is 6'5" and 250. Afterall, baseball is the most popular sport in Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

The students who were interested, bought into it, once they learned the basics, and the rules, and the strategies. But could they hook the others?

No. Why not?

Around 2006 or so, MLB decided to make a push into China and set up a China rep office. They sensed a growing (albeit very small) interest in baseball in China, mostly due to the fact that Baseball would (then) be one of the 2008 Olympic sports. There was also a keen desire to cash in on some of the branding popularity that NBA teams enjoyed in the malls. MLB, which at that time had no actual baseball games being broadcast on Chinese TV, came in and did something for which I give them credit. They set up and funded 2 or 3 "MLB Baseball Training Centers" in China for aspiring and gifted, potential baseball players. The main one is in Wuxi, Jiangsu. But this did nothing to popularize the sport within China or within Chinese schools.

In 2011, I was in a third-tier city (Yantai, Shandong) walking through it's new mall and came across an entire MLB Shop loaded with authentic, and over-priced but legit MLB authorized ware. Long timers in China will laugh when I say that an entire row of Oakland A's green hats were lingering on the shelves.

So....NFL...what should you do? Change the Jets and Eagles colors before you try to sell their caps, first.

But, seriously....I remeber the days here when it was difficult to catch even a Super Bowl game in China. I remember the game where CCTV broadcast that one single game, pumping it up because they would have an NFL player who could speak Chinese (Chad Lewis from Philly) as a commentator, and then Michael Jackson's sister pulled her top down.

In the last year so so, I've noticed a remarkable difference in the way the NFL has approached China. For one, they have made deals with Chinese internet/TV providers to show games. PPTV, LETV, etc. Plus they've developed their own NFLChina website. It makes it easier for people here (Chinese and non) to watch games. It helps spread the interest of watching a game among the hoi polloi. And in many cases helps to explain the rules.

Second, in Beijing I know that NFL China set up the NFL Game Day Experience over a series of weeks at Bei Hang including the flag-football games. This allowed thousands of interested spectators and students from a variety of schools to learn more and immerse themselves in the NFL Experience. And many of them will no doubt be watching the Super Bowl on PPTV or LETV next weekend.

In short, NFL China seems to be tackling the issue well...and progressing progressively (:)) along the long march toward making the NFL popular in China.

MLB is looking for prospects -a Yao Ming of baseball; the NFL is developing fans for the game - a deeper root.

Keep doing what you're doing; it's a long march, but it seems to be working well.