NYON, Switzerland (AP) – The video sharing app TikTok was announced on Thursday as sponsor for this year’s European Championship, making it the fourth Chinese supporter of the soccer tournament.
No value was disclosed for the transaction, which was confirmed eight months after Euro 2020 started. The 24-man tournament was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic – a decision that could cost “hundreds of millions” of dollars, according to UEFA.
The potential influence of young TikTok users was revealed last June when they were cited as the reason for the inflated expectations of attending former US President Donald Trump’s campaign event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The soccer deal was negotiated amid an ongoing lawsuit after the Trump administration tried to ban TikTok from smartphone app stores as a national security threat unless it came under greater American control.
Chinese companies are now four of UEFA’s eleven main sponsors. TikTok joins Alipay, Hisense and Vivo.
According to UEFA, fans could use the app to “create their own special moments, reactions and celebrations around the tournament”.
“UEFA will also give TikTok access to its huge library of historical assets to develop highly interesting and innovative content,” said the European Football Association.
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