New path: MLB's digital strategy facilitates integrative development of sports industry

During Boao Culture and Creativity Week, MLB also shared its thoughts and experiences on the development of the sports industry in the digital age.

Tony Qi, managing director of MLB China delivered a speech themed "Special 2020 - building a new ecosystem for the sports industry" at an industry forum on Nov 15, introducing MLB's innovative application of digital technology on match organization, branding and cultural promotion.

MLB has been leading the global trend of leveling up the league's quality via digital technology.

"Technologies like artificial intelligence, big data and virtual reality are everywhere at MLB's stadiums and training fields. That helped MLB to keep leveling up its business value," said Qi.

Off the field of play, digital technologies offer wider applications. Qi said that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies are increasingly significant in the sports industry. MLB China has always tried to think beyond sports and focus on digital marketing. MLB has created engaging content and launched various activities on social media to show people Chinese baseball stories, thereby creating more interactions and brand exposure even when the season was temporarily shut down due to the pandemic.

During the forum, Qi also detailed MLB's efforts to boost baseball development in China. MLB has established three development centers in Wuxi, Changzhou and Nanjing, providing professional baseball training for the country's baseball-loving kids. In addition, MLB First Pitch attracted more kids to baseball through training classes and youth leagues across 10 cities in China.

Since the start of MLB's teenage baseball development program in 2007, about 1.3 million students have had baseball classes in China.

Now, Hainan is trying to start a new education model of combining sports and education. The province is positioning itself to become a national sports training base and sports center. MLB has brought baseball to Hainan, allowing more people to feel the charm of the sport, which will benefit the local baseball culture and boost the sport's development in the province.