China’s team is not participating in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but that did little to stop Chinese fans – and businesses – from participating. Now a football-related movie is set to hit the screens of the Middle Kingdom, a few days before the final match on Sunday at the Chinese Lusail Stadium.
Indie aggregator, Leeding Media, has set a Wednesday release date for the feature film “Baggio: The Divine Ponytail,” in partnership with Netflix and its Italian producer Fabula Pictures.
The sports drama tells the inspiring story of Italian football legend Roberto Baggio as he rises from humble origins to the pinnacle of success in the sport. After a shattering moment of self-doubt leads to Italy’s defeat in the 1994 World Cup, Baggio must learn to overcome his demons and rediscover his love for football, family, friends, and life.
The film will initially be released on Alibaba-owned streaming platforms Bilibili and Youku just in time for the current football fever. Later on, Mango TV and other streaming devices will give it another game.
“Baggio’s name recognition is huge in China, especially among the 20- to 40-year-old age group. Leeding Media founder and CEO David Yu Lee, who will also serve as executive product credit, said.
The censorship process and separate system for applying for broadcast release permits hasn’t gotten easier or faster — Leeding Media acquired China’s rights to the film in December last year, and Netflix has in the rest of the world — but Li says he sees “Baggio” as a step toward diversifying beyond content. and bringing more European and Latin American films to China.
Since 2021, the company has received release permits and distributed 35 films in the Chinese market including the Bruce Willis film starring Clint Eastwood’s “Breach,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and another 2021 Netflix original “Outside the Wire” starring Anthony Mackie and Who. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom.
Next for the company is the US-India co-production “Skater Girl”, in which a country girl achieves a competitive level in skateboarding.
Maintaining a sports theme could be a power play for entertainment companies trying to penetrate the now privileged Chinese market.
The current World Cup matches are widely watched on six different channels in China, including the state-controlled China Central Television. Two others, Migu (a subsidiary of China Telecom) and Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese sister company), enable viewers to watch on virtual reality headsets.
It is estimated that Chinese consumer brands have spent $1.4 billion on World Cup sponsorship. Among the leaders were Wanda (real estate and shopping malls), Vivo (phones), Hisense (electronics) and Mingyu (dairy products), which used the tournament to activate the campaign as if the national team was fully present.
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