The UEFA Euro 2024 came to a thrilling close on July 14, as Spain prevailed over England in the game’s final minutes to claim a record fourth European Championship title. 

Notably, five Chinese companies—AliExpress, Alipay+, BYD, Hisense, and vivo—were among the 13 global tournament sponsors, highlighting the growing investment and influence of Chinese brands across international sports. In 2016, Hisense was the Euro’s sole Chinese sponsor. 

Chinese brands are increasingly banking on high-profile sports sponsorships to expand their reach and build brand recognition with local audiences—a strategy that extends far beyond the Euro Championship. In anticipation of the upcoming Summer Games in Paris, online retailer AliExpress—the Official E-Commerce Services Partner of the Olympics—unveiled “Find Your Sport" (its latest global advertising campaign) last month. Transportation solutions firm BYD sponsored the Copa America this year for the first time, and vivo has served as LaLiga’s official smartphone partner since 2022. 

On the European sponsorship front, Unilever’s Euro 2024 campaign marked the company’s first-ever portfolio approach, featuring activations across a range of brands including Axe, Dove Men+Care, Rexona, and Hellman’s. Spanning more than 24 countries and 130K stores, the 360-degree campaign included in-store displays, gift packs, limited-edition products, and fan zones dedicated to product sampling. 

Hellmann’s kicked off its “Up Your Game” campaign—the largest ever launched by Unilever’s Nutrition business—with soccer stars like Germany’s Joshua Kimmich and Italy’s Federico Chiesa. Fans were invited to elevate their BBQ experiences with the brand’s premier condiment lineup via a prime-time TV spot, stadium concession stands, out-of-home billboards, and social media. Rexona—the world’s top antiperspirant and deodorant brand—made its presence known with its “Bring the Heat” campaign. Fans were offered the chance to win VIP match tickets, play on a tournament pitch, and participate in meet and greets with Spain’s Ferran Torres and Germany’s Toni Kroos. 

Turning to the tournament's kit suppliers, Nike dominated the field, outfitting nine national teams and outpacing second-place adidas (which dressed six teams) by 50%. Puma took third place with four teams.