Doing It the Chinese Way: The Politically-led Commercialization of Professional Football in China

Abstract

This article analyzes the differences in the commercialization patterns of professional football between Western countries and China. Based on a literature review, it is concluded that the Chinese commercialization of football needs to be systematically compared with the Western structures of the process to derive a coherent framework for a better understanding of the phenomenon. This comparison is achieved by performing an institutional analysis based on a heterodox socioeconomic approach to commercialization as an organizational change process. Among other factors, the similarities and differences between the politically-led logic and media-driven logic of football commercialization are identified. The result is a model of a comparative framework of commercialization processes of professional football in Western countries and China. The theoretical and management implications of this model highlight that the Chinese case needs to be assessed with special consideration of the policy context. The model moreover unveils promising directions for future research.