ABSTRACT
This chapter questions whether China continues to be an appealing destination for international sports investment. It documents the shifts within China’s geopolitical economy of sport, including the stalling of the promise of continuing liberalization and progress towards a market economy, and the norm of sudden and heavy-handed state interventions. The chapter discusses the National Basketball Association’s difficulties in China as a result of Daryl Morey’s social media post in 2019, as well as the World Tennis Association’s response to Peng Shuai’s social media post in 2021. The analysis suggests that although the Chinese market retains substantial potential, the cost-benefit calculus for foreign sports entities operating there has become more complicated.
