Celebrity Athlete Endorsement in China

Celebrity Athlete Endorsement in China: The Untapped Goldmine for Brands in China in 2025

If you’re running a startup and not thinking about celebrity athlete endorsements in China, you’re leaving massive opportunities on the table. China’s booming consumer market, coupled with its obsession with sports and pop culture, makes this one of the most powerful tools for brand growth. Let’s break it down Gary V-style: practical, no fluff, and action-packed.

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Why Athlete Endorsements Work in China

1️⃣ Athletes = Trust and Influence
In China, celebrity athletes are more than just sports icons—they’re cultural ambassadors. People trust them because their success is associated with discipline, hard work, and authenticity. When a superstar like Yao Ming or Eileen Gu endorses a brand, it’s not just a name attached to a product—it’s instant credibility.

2️⃣ Massive Fan Bases
Chinese athletes have millions of fans across platforms like Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). These platforms amplify every endorsement to unimaginable levels. One post from a top athlete can generate more impressions than months of traditional ads.

3️⃣ Sports Are Booming in China
China’s hosting of global events like the Olympics and the rise of homegrown sports leagues (e.g., CBA for basketball) have skyrocketed interest in sports. This means athletes aren’t just role models—they’re part of a movement. If your brand is tied to sports, fitness, or wellness, you’re perfectly positioned to ride this wave.

Sports Celebrity Endorsement in China

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In China, sports celebrities have a significant influence on the Chinese population, especially the young demographic, which consists of 80% of China’s sports market.
Due to this awareness, many Chinese companies in the sports industry have prepared contracts with sports celebrities to let them participate in their promotion events or take them as brand ambassadors.

Special characters of the market

The rule of the game in China is different from other countries as everybody knows. And in the sports field, it’s even more.

1. Special system

In China, most decisions are not made by athletes themselves, but by the General Administration of Sport of China.
Now China football, basketball, and ping-pong sports have developed their professional organization which means players from them have the right to make decisions with sponsorship by themselves. However, most sports like swimming, tennis, and hurdles are still categorized in the state-sponsored sports system.

The athletes who practice them have to approval from the General Administration of Sport of China before signing contracts with sponsors. Usually, the income of athletes will be divided into 3 shares: one for the General Administration of Sport of China, one for the award for all the athletes and the rest one is for the athlete who gets it. This has aroused more and more conflicts between the administration and athletes.

2. Lack of professional agents

China has a big number of top athletes while only a few of them have been developed business-wise. The reason is that there is a lack of professional agents to represent and promote athletes.
Because of the limitation of low-level business development, the business value of most top athletes is wasted. And their life consists of only training and competing without a long-term future career plan.
The situation is undergoing a big change now. Yao Ming has formed a team called “Team of Yao” who is responsible for organizing his business events and training as well as balancing them. It helps the great Chinese basketball player play well on the basketball court and play better in the business field. Even after his retirement, Yao still gets tens of millions in sponsorship every year.

3. Passion for local government

If an athlete performs well, the local government will help promote him and make him popular.
The gold-medal winner of Men’s 400m Freestyle in London, Sun Yang, received a surprise from the Hangzhou Municipal government: a statue for him!

In fact, the reason to build a statue for an athlete is a pure show off of the performance of the government. The Chinese government has great pressure for getting a good performance and a gold medal from Olympic Games is a kind of proof.

4. The limitation of events

Chinese athletes are usually good at small events like badminton and diving, not the popular eye-catching events like football, formula 1, or basketball. This character limits the business value of top Chinese athletes.
Without a new emerging superstar, China sports fans have diverted their interest to other events. It’s a special phenomenon in China that those small events also have big groups of fans, especially those events that China has a big chance to win such as diving, weighting, and ping-pong.

Those athletes with the right look and good performance are quite popular in China, no matter which event they come from.
Things also change Chinese athletes are becoming more competitive in those big events such as swimming and basketball. This also produces more high business value, for Chinese athletes.

Trends of the market

More professional, more marketing-oriented, and more entertaining are the three characteristics of China’s emerging sports market. In another word, China’s sporting market is becoming more and more business-friendly.
It is motivated by several factors. First of all, there will be more sports games or tournaments in China in the next several years like China Open, Shanghai ATP, F1, and HSBC Golf Roots. It will not only attract more Chinese into sports but also create more top Chinese sports stars.

The increasing maturity of China’s sports market also attracts more companies from other fields to sponsor sports celebrities. After sporting goods, beverages, and real estate, insurance companies are now targeting those top athletes.

In fact, most companies can find their brand ambassadors in sports fields because top athletes are usually healthy, strong, confident, and diligent.

Selection of Athlete

Before cooperating with sports celebrities to open the Chinese market, you have to first select one from them.
There’s a trend now that companies prefer more and more potential athletes. Especially those big companies like Coke Cola and Nike who have invested a lot in potential Chinese athletes before they win gold medals. Now those companies invest not only in athletes themselves but also in the Administration of Sport of China to get inside information on potential stars.

Those traditionally weak events for the Chinese like football and basketball. Yao is the best illustration for that.

Risk

The other side of sports celebrity endorsements is its risk.

1. Cost risk

The cost of inviting a celebrity athlete is not low. And that’s not all, the following cost sometimes can account for 80% of the total cost. If your budget is not big, take a second thought.

2. Performance risk

According to the data from 2004, only 25% of the athletes endorsed have won gold medals. It greatly undermines the confidence of sponsors.

3. Reputation risk

Scandal problems are seldom found in China’s sports field. However, the short “life circle: of celebrity makes many companies a headache.
There are also some solutions to hedge the risks.

1. Balance training and business development

The performance of your endorsed athlete is the premise of the effect of your investment. A sole sponsorship can be a good solution. Athletes can concentrate on their training and it also saves the company from worrying about its competitors.

2. Backup ads solution

The sports game is a test for both athletes and companies. Nobody can guarantee results. So preparing backup ads can keep companies from embarrassment.

3. Seasonal change of celebrity athletes

There’s always the risk of a long-term sponsorship with one athlete. Even if there is no risk, sports fans are more fickle in their affections.
Sponsor more athletes

How Startups Can Use Athlete Endorsements

1. Go Niche First
You don’t need to land a national superstar like Zhang Weili (MMA) or Sun Yang (swimming) to make an impact. Start with regional or niche athletes who dominate in specific sports. Their engagement with local audiences is often stronger and more personal.

💡 Pro Tip: Look at rising stars in trending sports like skateboarding, esports, or fitness. These athletes often have highly engaged, younger fans who are more likely to try new products.

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2. Leverage Social Media Platforms
Athlete endorsements come alive on platforms like Douyin and Weibo, where short-form content and real-time updates dominate.

• Douyin (TikTok in China): Create viral short videos featuring athletes using your product, like a basketball player dunking in your sneakers or a swimmer training with your gear.
• Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu): Post aspirational lifestyle content, like an athlete enjoying your health supplements or protein bars.

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3. Integrate E-Commerce
In China, social media and e-commerce are inseparable. When an athlete endorses your product, make it shoppable immediately on platforms like JD.com or Tmall.

E-Commerce in China: Top Platforms & Websites

💡 Pro Tip: Use QR codes on athlete posts that lead directly to your product page. Seamless integration between inspiration and purchase is non-negotiable in China.

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4. Focus on Authenticity
Chinese consumers can spot fake endorsements a mile away. Choose athletes who genuinely resonate with your brand. If you’re selling eco-friendly products, collaborate with athletes who promote sustainability.

💡 Example: Eileen Gu endorsing sportswear that supports climate action makes sense and strengthens her credibility.

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Real-World Case Studies

1️⃣ Eileen Gu & Anta Sports
When freestyle skier Eileen Gu partnered with Anta, she brought her global appeal and Gen Z relatability to one of China’s biggest sportswear brands. The result? Anta became the cool alternative to Nike and Adidas during the Winter Olympics, selling out products endorsed by Gu within days.

2️⃣ Yao Ming & China Dairy
Yao Ming’s endorsement of China Dairy wasn’t just about milk—it was about health, strength, and tradition. His association with this everyday product elevated its value and connected it to Chinese culture.

3️⃣ Wu Lei & Puma
Soccer player Wu Lei’s collaboration with Puma demonstrated how brands can tap into China’s growing love for football. By pairing Wu Lei’s story of perseverance with Puma’s athletic appeal, the campaign resonated deeply with young soccer fans.

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Why Startups Should Jump In Now

The athlete endorsement space in China isn’t just for big brands. Startups can win big if they:

• Act Fast: Trends and opportunities in China move faster than anywhere else.
• Think Digital: Go heavy on social media and e-commerce integration.
• Build Relationships: Invest in long-term collaborations, not one-off endorsements.

💡 Pro Tip: Even a small, well-executed partnership with a niche athlete can drive massive ROI when paired with the right digital strategy.

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Final Thoughts

In China, celebrity athlete endorsements aren’t just a marketing tactic—they’re a movement. If you’re a startup looking to break into the market, align your brand with the values athletes represent: hard work, authenticity, and inspiration.

This is your chance to build trust, drive sales, and make your mark in the fastest-growing consumer market in the world. So, what are you waiting for? Get your product in an athlete’s hands and let the Chinese market see the magic. 🚀

What’s your brand culture? What kind of athlete do you need?

Do you need a Partner, an Agency to help you ?