On April 16, the first round of the Chinese Super League drew to a close. According to Sports Weekly, the lineup of sponsors has shrunk from 11 to 8, with five teams failing to sign chest ads.
Beijing Guoan hosted Meizhou Hakka in the opening game of the 2023 Chinese Super League season. Meizhou Hakka, the first team from a small county in the history of the Chinese Super League, embarked on the road to Beijing for the first time. Surprisingly, the Hakka players wore jerseys without advertisements, which did not fit in with the visual feast. Adding to the embarrassment is the fact that there is more than one Chinese Super League (CSL) team without advertising jerseys. For example, newly promoted MaZhou Nantong Zhiyun, Qingdao Hainiu and Shenzhen. Although the Tianjinmen Tigers have the name of the team printed on the chest, it is clear that the chest advertisement failed to close the deal. Not long ago, overseas rising star Efirdin also released an advertisement wearing the jersey of the Swedish Super Club.
This season, the number of sponsors and partners at all levels of the Chinese Super League dropped to eight from 11 last year. Despite the renewal of the title sponsor Ping An of China, the amount of sponsorship was halved. This shows that the resumption of the home-and-away system has not immediately alleviated the investment pressure on the Chinese Super League.
Sports Weekly pointed out that the Chinese Super League hopes that with the gradual standardization of the league, by improving professional governance, increasing the transparency of the game, and improving the spectacle, the brand value of the Chinese Super League can gradually climb.
