From 31 August to 3 September, badminton fans were treated to the Aviva-Cofco China Masters. Aviva-Cofco, our joint venture in China, is the title sponsor of the China Masters from 2005 to 2007. The tournament saw over 150 top China and international shuttlers playing to an arena of 4,500 fans at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium.
From 31 August to 3 September, badminton fans were treated to the Aviva-Cofco China Masters. Aviva-Cofco, our joint venture in China, is the title sponsor of the China Masters from 2005 to 2007. The 2005 tournament saw over 150 top China and international shuttlers playing to an arena of 4,500 fans at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium.
The event followed the success of the World Badminton Championships in the US and the Sudirman Cup in July. China is the first country in badminton history to organise a Masters event.
The China Masters is sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) and jointly organised by the China Badminton Association and the Beijing Bureau of Sports. The event's total prize money is US$275,000 among the five singles and doubles categories
The event was broadcast in China, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Australia, France, UK, US and Philippines. In total, it will reach over 154 million households. In China alone the Aviva-Cofco China Masters received four days of live broadcast on CCTV5 which reaches 105 million households alone.
This will also be the first time the event was telecast in the US, Australia, France and UK on TVBS-Europe, notably the most popular 24-hour direct-to-home Chinese satellite channel serving the UK and Europe.
The marketing and promotion leading up to the tournament in Beijing included press conferences, radio, print and outdoor advertising, roadshows, meet-the-fans sessions and contests. The entire campaign spanned the provinces of Guangdong, Sichuan and Beijing itself. With hundreds of fans showing up at each roadshow, the campaign exceeded expectations.