Soccer exploding in China

[NRL&NFLweLaughATafl]

Anyone else noticed these multiple articles out at the moment with the mass increase in popularity for soccer in China.
From plans for 50,000 football acadamies in the nation by 2025 and additional ambitions to hold the fifa world cup in 2050.
To be honest this would be a dream for any sport. To have the worlds most populated nation getting madly into your code.

[Fred]

Agree. China seem to be going mad for soccer.

[post_hoc]

double edged sword for Australia as well.

Australia being part of the world market in football, China has implications for our game here.

On the downside it is more competition for world players, making it harder for our local clubs to compete to sign players. It is also a drain on our local talent, another player for them to be lured to.

On the upside another player for our local product to be lured to (I know contradictory) but it has both positives and negatives. As we play in Asia, having another big player is good for our game, and as China grows and improves it will hopefully mean the Asian Champions League will also grow in prestige and prize money, thereby making the local game better.

China is already willing to invest in the local game here as can be seen in the purchase of the Jets and their investment in the Wanderers.

[AFLcrap1]

The negatives far outweigh the positives .
Sokka is already struggling to attract viewers for the lol league
Diluting the talent pool further will make a 4th grade comp harder to watch than it already is .

[post_hoc]

The negatives far outweigh the positives .
Sokka is already struggling to attract viewers for the lol league
Diluting the talent pool further will make a 4th grade comp harder to watch than it already is .

One doesn't equal the other, China may (and are) pouring money into the league so talent follows money. Football is an international sport and an international marketplace, I don't think you quiet grasp what that means or how it will work for Australia. But a strong Japan doesn't make A League bad, nor will a strong China. Players move and we will provide a good shop window, as we do now.

[AFLcrap1]

But the local product suffers .
& when you don't have the best players to watch in your domestic comp then you get ratings like the lol league does now

[post_hoc]

But the local product suffers .
& when you don't have the best players to watch in your domestic comp then you get ratings like the lol league does now

Never quite got that thinking, I don't think it is the case that the best aren't playing therefore people wont watch. If that was the case only 3 leagues would be worth watching. As it stands the biggest overseas football league for Australians is still the EPL, yet more people watch the A league than they watch the EPL (in Australia), so I wouldn't say no one watches the A League.

There are still some conversions to occur from overseas watches to local, but the thing is it is all Football so over time, with kids being brought up on the A league they will tend to watch the local (as well as the overseas), like I said it's all football which can only be good for us.

[leeroy*NRL*]

But the local product suffers .
& when you don't have the best players to watch in your domestic comp then you get ratings like the lol league does now

Never quite got that thinking, I don't think it is the case that the best aren't playing therefore people wont watch. If that was the case only 3 leagues would be worth watching. As it stands the biggest overseas football league for Australians is still the EPL, yet more people watch the A league than they watch the EPL (in Australia), so I wouldn't say no one watches the A League.

There are still some conversions to occur from overseas watches to local, but the thing is it is all Football so over time, with kids being brought up on the A league they will tend to watch the local (as well as the overseas), like I said it's all football which can only be good for us.

I am pretty sure when FOX had the EPL rights more Australian viewers watched the EPL over A League.

even knowing most games were after midnight..

the games at 9:30 to 1am rated pretty well for the hour it was played..

If China does explode and become a monster..
it will bad news for A League.

the only positive would be the Asian champions league..
it would become huge.. $$$

But Australia will not be able to compete..