CCTV secures historic China Open broadcasting rights

CCTV5 will broadcast seven hours of live tennis per day, as well as additional highlights, reaching over 700 million. "The China Open will be broadcast to the entire Chinese population. Furthermore, the action shown on CCTV will also be beamed to dozens of other countries around the world, ensuring success and exposure for the China Open on a global scale," said tournament director Lincoln Venancio. A major advertising campaign has been created for television, outdoor and print, with the slogan 'China takes centre court'. The print will involve over 50 full-page ads in leading national news publications, such as the Beijing News Daily. Twenty-three news conferences will also be scheduled to build awareness. The ads feature well-known players and iconic images of Beijing and China. According to Venancio, sponsorship deals are in their final stages of selection. One brand per category will be chosen, with the highest priority industries being automobiles, home electronics and mobile communications, due to their high growth rate in China. Venancio added, "The clear objectives of the China Open are to develop it into one of the world's top five tennis tournaments; to make it Asia's premiere annual sports events; and to ensure it is a great asset to China's preparations for the 2008 Olympic games." sm