Chinese short-form video content creation and social platform Kuaishou has secured a selection of Chinese broadcast rights to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games from state media company and rightsholder China Media Group (CMG).
Kuaishou, which boasts hundreds of millions of users, has acquired on-demand video and short-form video rights to the games in a sublicensing deal that sees it become an official rights-holding broadcaster of the games in China.
The platform, a public company part-owned by the Chinese state’s Internet Investment Fund, will harness its expansive user base to drive both viewership and commercial activity around the games by integrating fan engagement activities, advertising, and shopping promotions into its Olympic broadcasts.
In announcing the deal, Kuaishou stated: “More than 17 million creators posted sports-related content on Kuaishou, engaging nearly 200 million users with a core interest in sports. Moreover, in 2023, over 50 million users bought sports-related products on Kuaishou, showing a strong inclination for spending during major sports events.”
Back in May 2023, CMG formalized its partnership for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) division of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Through the tie-up, CMG will provide Paris 2024 coverage for the OBS’ international signal, known as the games’ ‘world feed'.
The Chinese broadcaster has been asked to provide coverage for the feed of badminton, gymnastics, sport climbing, and table tennis during the Olympics, which are set to take place in the French capital between July 26 and August 11.
Kuaishou has experience partnering with CMG to show the Olympic Games, having done so for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as the 2022 Asian Games multi-sport event.
The platform also has China-centric licensing and content partnerships with a number of other major global sporting competitions including soccer’s UEFA Champions League and basketball’s NBA.
In the past, its global-facing arm, Kwai, has also sponsored sports organizations internationally, primarily in Brazil where it is currently partnered with top Brazilian soccer side Flamengo in a shirt sponsorship deal running through 2024, having previously sponsored the country’s men’s and women’s national soccer teams.
