March Madness? Asian college basketball looks to copy US pizazz to widen appeal
University tournament’s chief executive wants to create more ‘sportainment’ in mould of United States’ NCAA
The Asian University Basketball League is aiming to break into the “sportainment” market, the tournament’s chief executive has said.
College basketball players in Asia, and even Hong Kong, remain largely unknown to the public, so to widen the product’s audience, Jay Li Jintian said he was attempting to create a family-type product suitable for parents to bring their children.
In the United States, college basketball remains a popular event, and Li said he was hoping to create a similar culture in Asia.
“The competition is still the core,” said Li, who considers the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as the benchmark for college sporting culture. “Take March Madness in the United States as an example.