Sports Big Business No. 2779, welcome to pay attention to the leading sports industry information platform
Wen | Fu Zhenghao
Sports big business reporter
As one of the industries that most rely on offline crowd gathering scenes, the sports competition performance industry is facing multiple dilemmas in the post-epidemic era. Looking at China, a large number of sports events have been put down because they cannot be held on the ground, and even the top Chinese Super League and CBA have to adopt the tournament system, that is, arrange all participating teams to play in one place. But even so, there are still many challenges in each selection of the competition area, after all, there are not many divisions that can meet all the hardware and software requirements. In contrast, the Chinese Collegiate Basketball League (CUBA) has become a model for the smooth landing of events in the post-epidemic era, and the overall influence of the event has risen against the trend.
Throughout the two seasons since the outbreak of the epidemic, CUBA's divisional competitions and finals have not only always been held in first-class venues, but also some qualified grassroots matches and the vast majority of the top eight matches can also be smoothly promoted with a home-and-away system. According to the data provided by the operating unit Ali Sports, many indicators of the operation of the last CUBA event still maintained a strong growth of more than 200%. Last season, the First Division set a record high of 71.64 million professional live broadcasts and 57 million total live viewers in the whole season. At the new season launch, the first batch of official league partners were unveiled, including the league's official strategic partner, the official partner Lohas Preferred, the official sponsor Xilinmen and the official supplier Spalding. In terms of event broadcasting, the official media partner Migu Video has been added, fans can watch the live broadcast of CUBA matches on the Youku and Migu platforms, and the cooperation platforms such as Douyin, Tiger Punch, and B Station will also produce a large amount of UGC content.
Of course, due to the sudden sporadic epidemic situation in China from time to time, CUBA's opening match this season also had small twists and turns in the selection of the venue, but in the end it was successfully held at the Sichuan Chengdu Le power Xiangcheng Sports Center. The tournament was also the final of the Cuba Grassroots Competition Sichuan Division, and finally Southwest Jiaotong University won the Sichuan Division Championship by winning the Electronic Science and Technology University in extra time. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time in the history of cuba openers held in Sichuan. In a sense, this opener has also become a living sample of the successful experience of CUBA landing.
After several twists and turns in the opening battle of CUBA, why can Cheng successfully "support the bottom"? After the outbreak of the epidemic, why did the overall influence of CUBA events rise against the trend? In the view of sports big business, Ali Sports, the exclusive operating agency of CUBA, has empowered CUBA with two smart venues and digital platforms through its Le power platform:
First, in terms of the landing of the event, Ali Sports creatively created a city cooperation + arena linkage model for CUBA. The Chengdu Le power Xiangcheng Sports Center, which held this opening match, is the self-operated wisdom venue of Ali Sports. At present, Ali Sports has its own operation of "Le Power Sports Center" in Shanghai, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan and other provinces (cities). In the case of repeated epidemics and many variables in the development of events on campus, Ali Sports has mastered the carrier of cuba events in the hands of self-operated venues.
Second, in terms of event promotion, Ali Sports seeks to upgrade CUBA digitally. This season, Le Dynamics became the official online interactive APP of CUBA. In addition to continuing last season's "CUBA My Home" Mini Program to open up online and offline functions and gameplay such as information, ticketing, quiz, voting, lottery and points tasks, and relying on the ability of le power step counting, AI sports and fitness guidance, etc., the "online home" that needs to be combined with physical practice is launched to drive the transformation of CUBA fans from spectators to sports participants, so that CUBA online and offline accurate diversion.
Arena linkage! Dozens of self-operated venues across the country have boosted CUBA to the society
In recent years, the intelligent transformation and upgrading of sports venues has become one of the most cutting-edge topics in the industry, and Ali Sports's Le power self-operated smart venues can be called the leader in this regard. The so-called smart venues mainly combine 5G with big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain and other technologies, focusing on the three major scenarios of watching, running and participating in the competition, and creating smart applications including smart cloud broadcasting, smart viewing, and smart medical care for the upgrading of the venue.
Specific to The Ledong self-operated smart stadium under Ali Sports, it relies on new technologies such as Ali smart devices, digital media, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to promote the new service, new product, and new operation of the stadium's new service, new product, and new operation of the new model of "integrated smart operation". In recent years, Alibaba Sports has operated dozens of smart venues in more than ten cities across the country, and is committed to innovating the traditional venue operation mode through digital advantages and stimulating new vitality of urban sports consumption.
With the gradual completion of the intelligent transformation of Ali Sports's offline venues in many places, the "Le Power Sports Center" located in Shanghai, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan and other provinces (cities) has begun to take shape, providing users with one-stop services such as online booking, self-service entry and exit, about ball teaming, and event registration. In addition, trendy consumption scenarios such as first-come-first-pay and (equipment) credit leasing are very popular among users. Le Power's self-operated smart venues have become the benchmark sports trend holy places in their respective provinces and cities. With these self-operated venues, Le Power has successfully connected the event resources under Ali Sports, and can connect the online and offline resources of the event to complete the accurate diversion of the event.
Take the Chengdu Le Power Xiangcheng Sports Center, which hosted the opening match of the new CUBA season, as an example. "Le Power Xiangcheng Sports Center" is located in Xindu District, Chengdu, is a collection of sports events, competition training, education and training, theatrical performances, small exhibitions, sports and leisure, national fitness and other urban sports complex. This is an intelligent sports comprehensive space operated and built by Ali Sports offline, including basketball hall, badminton, table tennis, swimming pool, national fitness center, outdoor futsal, seven-a-side football field and related supporting rooms, and will host the women's water polo competition of the 31st Universiade. The opening match of the new CUBA season is also the first domestic top event held after the completion of the venue.
Alibaba Sports also combined with chengdu's local characteristics to carry out hardware transformation of Le Power Xiangcheng Sports Center, the venue group with orange + gray as the main color to create a three-dimensional sense of alternating light and dark space, interior decoration using Le Power brand IP image and Chengdu local characteristics of cultural elements (dialect, hot pot, face change), for local residents to create a set of fun and sense of belonging in one of the sports experience. The outdoor basketball court cleverly uses the atrium space to ensure ventilation and lighting. Inspired by Matisse's masterpiece "Dance", the shape conveys the joy of movement through jumping and wrapping belts, creating a transparent and energetic sports venue full of personality.
When CUBA, the top sports IP that young people love, landed in Chengdu, a top Internet celebrity city, the OPENING BATTLE OF CUBA immediately triggered a wide range of heated discussions in the city, and the volume was even no less than that of the FA Cup held at the same time. Although the CUBA opener was not able to sell tickets publicly due to the impact of the epidemic, some fans still came to the outside of the venue, hoping to have the opportunity to see the style of their favorite players.
Overall, the holding of the CUBA opener has undoubtedly increased the exposure of the newly opened Chengdu Le power Xiangcheng Sports Center, and is expected to become another new landmark of fashion sports in Chengdu in the future. At the same time, holding a CUBA opening battle in a new landmark of fashion sports in Chengdu, a top internet celebrity city, will undoubtedly enable CUBA to go out of the campus to the society and comprehensively enhance its influence and attention.
It is precisely because Ali Sports has such a number of self-operated smart venues, so Ali Sports has had enough confidence in the past year to bring important events such as the CUBA All-Star Game and the Peak Four Out of the campus and to the public venues for public ticketing. For example, in March 2021, Ali Sports successfully held last season's CUBA All-Star Game at the Jiangnan Sports Center in Nan'an District, Chongqing, which has independent operation rights, and the tickets for all levels of seats have been sold out before the game, of which the highest 899 yuan of "shining seats" sold out within 5 minutes of being on the shelves.
On June 18-20, 2021, the CUBA National Final Four was successfully held at the Suzhou Bay Sports Center operated by Ali Sports. Orange Lion Yuedong (Suzhou Bay Sports Center) is a smart venue that integrates digital operation capabilities, integrates various "black technologies", and assembles software and hardware facilities at the forefront of Jiangsu National Fitness Venues. At that time, with the CUBA Final Four as the carrier, the black technology full of orange lion Yuedong (Suzhou Bay Sports Center) officially cut the ribbon, and then the venue and outside became a basketball carnival event that everyone enjoyed.
Following last season's CUBA All-Star Game and Final Four game out of the campus to be held in the Ali Sports self-operated venue, now the CUBA new season opener was successfully held in Chengdu Le Power Xiangcheng Sports Center, which undoubtedly belongs to the water, and then, in March 2022, CUBA this season's All-Star Game will continue to settle in The Jiangnan Sports Center in Chongqing's Nan'an District. Obviously, the urban cooperation + stadium linkage model led by Ali Sports is becoming more and more mature. According to the understanding of sports big business, next, Under the guidance of relevant units such as the Sports Association, Ali Sports will continue to organically combine CUBA, a top campus event, with a characteristic city, and cooperate with new event products to provide more vivid cases for the city empowered by high-light events. Ali Sports also plans to deepen the linkage with relevant departments of urban sports and urban education, and more theme activities based on campus sports IP are in the making.
Digital Empowerment! Le Power creates a CUBA online home, and the AI physical fitness game allows fans to become participants
In the post-epidemic era, as one of the industries that most rely on offline scenes and are most affected by the epidemic, the sports competition performance industry urgently needs to embrace digitalization. Under the empowerment of Le Power, CUBA is undoubtedly at the forefront of domestic sports events in terms of digital transformation and upgrading.
With Le Power becoming the official online interactive APP of CUBA in the new season, Ali Sports has built an upgraded version of the fan position on the Le Power APP. It will not only continue the online and offline functions and gameplay methods such as information, ticketing, quizzes, voting, lottery and point tasks opened up by the "CUBA My Home" Mini Program last season, but also rely on the ability of le power step counting, AI sports and fitness guidance to launch an "online home" that needs to be combined with physical practice, driving the transformation of CUBA fans from spectators to sports participants.
Previously, on December 13, 2021, Le Power specially launched the "China College Students Healthy Campus Competition and AI Physical Fitness Competition" (hereinafter referred to as the "AI Physical Fitness Competition"), which is the first AI online competition for colleges and universities across the country in China, which starts at the same time as the new season CUBA, advocating that college students take the day, week, month and semester as the target node, complete the sports standard task through the AI sports of the Le Power platform, obtain "sports scholarships", and encourage participants to develop sports habits.
According to the understanding of sports business, the competition relies on the cycle of weekly, monthly and semesters of Le Power, and releases an action every week to complete the competition to form a weekly ranking, 4 weeks of results to form a monthly ranking, and a monthly ranking to accumulate semester rankings. Reward students with outstanding grades and receive sports scholarships. In order to let students participate in the competition more scientifically, the top experts in the sports industry are invited to form a healthy campus publicity group to teach students sports, nutrition, psychology and other knowledge once a week, so as to escort the physical and mental health of college students in an all-round way. Since the official launch of the competition on December 28, nearly 150 universities have participated, with a cumulative number of applicants of nearly 100,000 people and a cumulative number of participants of more than 215,000, and has become the largest online AI event IP of China's universities.
As we all know, le power APP first started with a step counting APP, under the planning of Ali Sports, Le Power is being built into a national fitness sports platform with online and offline data connection. At present, the number of users on the whole platform of Le power exceeds 227 million, and the daily active life exceeds 10 million, covering three types of people: running, fitness and weight loss. Platform user portraits show that the core users of the platform are mainly composed of young and middle-aged people from first- and second-tier cities, nearly half of whom are professionals with high net worth. This part of the population has higher requirements for the quality of life, has a certain purchasing power, and has a strong willingness to pay.
In view of the "LOHAS family" who pursue a healthy sports life, Lohas Power launched the "LOHAS Preferred" to provide various sports-related high-quality products. At present, new products such as Le Power Oat Sucking, Probiotic Jumping Sugar, and Protein Bars have been launched, and they are listed in the Le Power Tmall flagship store and the official flagship store of Douyin.
Overall, Le Power has successfully diverted the flow of offline events through the CUBA fan position and the China University Health Campus Competition and AI Physical Fitness Competition online, and promoted the digital upgrading and transformation of sports events. At the same time, through the linkage of offline CUBA events, Le power self-operated smart venues and "Lohas Preferred" selection of good things, Le Power APP in turn has also gained a huge traffic entrance. It is with the help of the online and offline high-frequency in-depth interaction of the Le Power platform that CUBA's event ecosystem has been gradually improved, and Le Power has gradually expanded and upgraded itself to a new generation of national sports APP in the process of empowering the event.
Note: The images used in this article are from the Internet