Recently, the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Sport issued the Notice on the "Implementation Rules for Incentive Subsidies for Introducing Major International Sports Events in Sichuan" (hereinafter referred to as the Notice). It specifies that entities successfully bringing and hosting international major sports events recognized in the subsidy directory within Sichuan Province from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, qualify for a lump-sum subsidy. This subsidy is awarded based on set standards and can amount to a maximum of six million yuan.

The Notice is developed in compliance with the Several Policy Measures to Further Promote the Recovery and Improvement of Economic Operations issued by the General Office of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, and is tailored to the actual situation in Sichuan. It is designed to promote the high-quality development of the sports event economy, drive consumption upgrades, enhance urban influence, and support the further economic recovery and improvement in Sichuan Province.

Event Subsidies

Transforming Event "Traffic" to Economic "Increment"

In the Notice, the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Sport has established an incentive subsidy directory for international major individual sports events based on factors such as event level, scale, application costs, investment in hosting, social impact, and economic benefits generated. The directory encompasses 15 sports disciplines, including athletics, swimming (artistic swimming, diving, water polo), table tennis, badminton, artistic gymnastics (rhythmic gymnastics), ice and snow sports, football, basketball, volleyball, esports, sport drones, triathlon, BMX, roller skating, and sport climbing, covering events from world championships, world cups and world tournaments to Olympic qualifier series and world cup qualifiers.

Between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, organizations that successfully introduce and host international major sports events, as listed in the directory, in Sichuan Province, and meet the specified criteria following a review, will be eligible for a one-time subsidy based on established standards.

The lump-sum subsidy for international major sports events is categorized into two tiers: A subsidy of six million yuan is allocated for hosting world championships and world cup matches (inclusive of finals) that are recognized as official Olympic events and signify the pinnacle of global competition; a subsidy of three million yuan is granted for organizing matches of the Olympic Games or world cup qualifiers in the "Big Three" sports (football, basketball and volleyball) where national teams are involved, as well as for world-class emerging sports events such as esports, roller skating, and sports drones, which are included in the key support range and encompass world championships and world cup events at the highest global level.

The World Championships in Athletic s, the IAAF Diamond Leagu e, the World Aquati cs Championships (including artistic swimming, diving and water polo), the World Table Tennis Championshi ps, the ITTF World Cup , and the WTT Fina ls, the BWF World Championships, the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, the Sudirman Cup, and The World Gymnastics Championships (including rhythmic gymnastics) all fall under the first tier of subsidies, with a maximum reward of six million yuan.

Events including FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Olympic qualifiers, China Cup International Football Championship, FIBA 5x5 Basketball World Cup (including qualifiers), Olympic qualifier series, the Sport Climbing World Championship s, and the World Roller Skating Championship s are eligible for a lump-sum subsidy of up to three million yuan. Esports global finals may claim up to three million yuan in subsidies if they meet the criteria of attracting a live audience of over 10,000 and generating box office revenue exceeding ten million yuan.

A leading official from the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Sport stated that sports administrative departments across the province should actively consider how to enhance the quality of the public's sports life through richer forms and content. The sports administrative departments should prioritize the expansion of consumption, encourage and support sports organizations and enterprises at all levels to host various highly engaging and visually appealing events, promote the deep integrated development of sports, business and culture-tourism, and transform the "traffic" generated by events into "incremental" economic growth. Furthermore, sports events should be integrated into the daily lives of the people, extending beyond traditional venues to encompass new consumption areas such as parks, tourist attractions, shopping districts, and cultural heritage sites. Work should be done to launch a series of activities, so as to harness the crowd-pulling potential of sports events, extend the viewing and participation chains, promote a multi-sectoral integration, create easily accessible events, and thereby elevate the quality and efficiency of consumption.

Simultaneously, efforts should be directed towards leveraging short video and other distribution platforms to share sports stories, harnessing digital technology to innovate marketing approaches, accurately identifying and analyzing the target audience for the sports event economy, thus maximizing the benefits derived from sports event resources.

Sports Event Economy

Remarkable Dynamism in Promoting Urban Development, Boosting Industries, and Benefiting the People

Focusing on an event-driven economy, Sichuan has reaped considerable benefits in recent years by hosting top-tier events and activities.

As early as 2022, Chengdu City issued relevant documents such as the Twenty Policies of Chengdu City on Supporting the High-Quality Development of the Sports Industry and the Implementation Opinions of the General Office of Chengdu Municipal People's Government on Accelerating the Construction of a World-Class Event City to Enable the High-Quality Development of the Sports Industry. These documents clearly state the policy of encouraging social entities to bring in or independently organize brand sporting events. For each internationally recognized sports event hosted in Chengdu, a subsidy of up to eight million yuan is offered. For events nurtured by Chengdu with substantial market value and global impact, a subsidy of up to five million yuan per event is provided. Additionally, for nationally renowned sports events held in Chengdu, a subsidy of up to three million yuan per event is available. The subsidy amount is capped at 50 percent of the total event organization costs.

With the successful hosting of the 56th ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2022, the Chengdu 2023 FISU World University Games, the 2024 Thomas &Uber Cup Finals, and the consecutive staging of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup over three years, Chengdu has effectively demonstrated its unique culture and remarkable development achievements on the global stage.

According to relevant data, last year's Thomas &Uber Cup attracted 128,000 tourists, generating direct economic benefits amounting to 540 million yuan. During the 2024 Chengdu ITTF Mixed Team World Cup event, the competition stimulated an output value of 380 million yuan in sectors such as accommodation, catering and transportation, with out-of-town spectators accounting for as high as 80 percent of the audience.

The successful hosting of the World University Games has significantly enhanced Chengdu's global standing and international communication index, placing it second nationwide, while also securing the top national ranking in the quality assessment of sports public services. This triumph has demonstrated remarkable dynamism in promoting urban development, boosting industries, and benefiting the people, vividly showcasing the myriad facets of Chinese modernization to the world.

In early April 2025, the Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone introduced a set of policies focused on fostering high-quality development in the sports sector. These policies are geared towards encouraging the hosting of high-end sports events, with the aim of boosting sports-related consumption, enhancing regional impact, and improving the event industry chain. For events of international and national significance, as well as those within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, financial support of up to five million yuan per event is offered. The efforts to attract and host premium sports events are generating even greater enthusiasm within Sichuan's already thriving sports event economy.

As living standards have risen in recent years, there has been a growing appetite among the public for sports events. An increasing number of people are participating in sports events, as athletes or spectators, bringing immense potential to the sports event market.

Engaging in sports while appreciating scenery and culture, and enjoying the pleasure of sports during travels, is gradually becoming a fashionable trend. Against the backdrop of national policy support, the upgrading of sports and tourism consumption, and the deep integration of industries, "traveling with sports events" is emerging as a favored leisure pursuit.

Data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization shows that the sports tourism industry is growing at an annual rate of 14 percent, currently accounting for 10 percent of the global total tourism expenditure. In 2023, the market size reached 564.7 billion U.S. dollars, and from 2023 to 2030, the projected growth rate of sports tourism is estimated at 17.5 percent.

These striking statistics and typical cases highlight the robust momentum and broad prospects of the sports event economy in establishing prestigious sports event brands, preserving exceptional sports cultures, fostering high-quality urbanization, and reflecting the diverse development trajectories of urban and rural regions.

Industry insiders involved in sports event operations indicate that, under policy incentives, Sichuan will attract more top-tier sports events from home and abroad and cultivate more popular "sports plus" activities. Local sports enterprises will also gain more development opportunities, expected to gradually form a sports industry cluster with Sichuan characteristics.