Sports Matters 2015 Completes a Hatrick of Events With Successful Third Instalment of the Region’s Leading Sports Conference

The curtain fell on the annual Sports Matters conference at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Maurizio Barbieri of Samsung, said: “This is a time of change in the sports industry and we are excited and proud to be driving this period of growth. We have seen new players entering the market these past two years and there will be more coming in over the next two years.

“We continue to have high hopes for the industry and Sports Matters remains the destination event for the business of sport.”

The content-rich programme ended with two overriding messages for the industry: Be here, and connect with your fans.

Much of the talk on Day Two centred on China and it’s coming of age.

Hang Yu, Vice President Sports, LeTV Sports delivered a powerful and honest appraisal of the recent changes in his market: “There is no doubt that the sports industry in China is booming however the most important thing for LeTV is to get more people to participate in sports whether they watch online video content or attend events. We need to solidify a foundation of sports fans.”

This was recognised by those outside China too. Andrew Georgiou, CEO, World Sport Group acknowledged that “Everyone’s been talking about China for 20 years and here we are… and we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Sports Matters mission statement is to create the foundation for a sustainable Asian sports industry.

The gathered speakers reminded the attendees to keep this in mind as the two days progressed: Is it sustainable?

Right from the outset, opening keynote speaker Zubin Gandevia, President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, FOX International Channels commented: “The issue is not so much whether the Asian sports industry is sustainable, but it’s more about how we can work together to optimise the massive potential it has. That’s the beauty of being at a nascent stage with so much momentum”

Sports Matters will be back in 2016. For the latest information: www.sportsmatters.asia