China

Police had to call in reinforcements yesterday as thousands of people descended on ticket booths in Beijing to get their hands on the last batch of Olympic tickets.

China will allow demonstrations in three designated city parks during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, according to UK news reports.

Chinese state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), agreed a deal to sub-license online broadcast rights for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Chinese web portal operators NetEase, Sina and Tencent.

Olympic broadcasters will be able to report live from Tiananmen Square, but only for six hours a day, according to reports from Beijing.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beijing, China. The office becomes the third global office of professional women’s tennis, adding to the Tour’s main headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA and the European office in London, UK.

Adidas opened its largest Adidas Brand Centre worldwide in Beijing, China, the host city of this year’s Olympic Games.

The International Softball Federation (ISF), softball’s governing body, says that tickets for games at this summer’s Olympics had sold out.

Seventy per cent of Chinese consumers consider Olympic sponsorship a positive endorsement of a company’s products, according to a report by China’s largest market research company, CTR Market Research.

Sohu.com, the Chinese Web portal, has acquired comprehensive Olympic webcast rights in a deal with the internet arm of CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster.

Sportswear manufacturer, Reebok International and its corporate parent, Adidas Group, one of the Olympic sponsors, are dropping plans for a hospitality facility to host athletes, guests, and the media at the summer games in Beijing because of logistical demands made by the Chinese government.

Ticket sales for the Beijing Olympics have once again encountered severe problems, despite assurances from organisers that the online system had been repaired. Problems last year led to the dismissal of the ticket centre's director.

The International Olympic Committee toughened its interpretation of the Olympic Charter, informing potential Beijing Games athletes that their actions, reactions and attitudes will be scrutinised at the coming Olympics.

Mercedes-Benz China have entered into a multi-year advertising and strategic marketing partnership with Roger Federer.

Average worldwide interest in the Olympic Games is at 52 per cent according to a new survey from SPORT+MARKT and unprompted awareness of Olympic Sponsors in China shows high interest and good results, especially for international brands.

Emirates Airline agreed a deal to become the Official Airline of the BMW Asian Open 2008 golf tournament - the fifth year in succession that the company has been a sponsorship partner of the event.

Campaigners against Chinese rule in Tibet, and Chinese arms trading in Africa have warned sponsors of the Beijing Olympics they risk damaging their brands by endorsing the Games.