Red Card report also ranks Premier League as China’s most popular European league online. European soccer champions Real Madrid have overtaken English giants Manchester United as the most popular team online in China, according to Mailman’s eighth annual Red Card report. The latest rankings saw United slip to third, with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who claimed top spot in 2016, moving up to second. The top five was rounded off by Serie A title-holders Juventus and LaLiga leaders Barcelona. The Red Card study analyses the influence of European soccer clubs across a range of digital platforms in China. It uses data from the Weibo and WeChat social media sites and the Douyin and Toutiao content platforms, as well as taking into account how respective club websites and apps perform in the country. Real Madrid ranked as the most followed club on Douyin and Toutiao with over one million followers, while the Spanish side was also the second fastest growing club across all platforms. ‘Without a doubt, China represents an increasingly important scenario for all European football clubs,’ Real Madrid said in a statement. ‘We worked hard to innovate and move with the fast-changing landscape and this is reflected in our digital growth and commitment. ‘The club’s relationship with its fans in China is extremely important and we’re glad we can repay their faith in the team by staying engaged with them across all digital channels. ’Meanwhile, England’s Premier League was named as the most influential European league online in China, ending the German Bundesliga’s four-year reign at the top of the rankings. The news comes after a year of firsts for the Premier League in China, where the organisation became the first European league to launch an official Chinese app in 2018, while it was also the first to launch on Douyin and Toutiao. The Premier League also claimed higher WeChat reads than all other European leagues combined. “The Premier League is committed to delivering more and better localised content in Mandarin, which is demonstrated by the recent launch of our official Chinese app and introduction of a local editorial team,” said Richard Masters, the Premier League’s interim Chief Executive. “Our digital strategy for China supports our live events and the work of our broadcast partners to create even more ways to engage with fans. We look forward to continuing to develop our digital presence and bringing the Premier League closer to the millions of supporters in China.” Finally, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo moved back ahead of rival Lionel Messi to become the player with the most social engagement in China following his move to Juventus from Real Madrid, which saw the Italian champions gain 126,000 new followers on Chinese social media. Ronaldo, 33, was extremely active in China in 2018, visiting with his sponsor Nike to launch a limited edition line of boots. He also released a lifestyle collection exclusive to the country and became a brand ambassador for Chinese carmaker Wey. To download the full Red Card report, visit Mailman's website.
Real Madrid has surpassed Bayern Munich to become China’s number-one football team online, according to the 2019 Red Card report by Mailman. The UK club fell to third place in the rankings, with Manchester United taking second place, followed by Juventus FC and FC Barcelona fourth and fifth respectively. The annual Mailman study looks at the most influential European football clubs in China, using a combination of data from sources including Weibo and WeChat social media sites, and online platforms Douyin and Toutiao.