Brady hopeful of playing NFL game in China

Jun 18, 2017 - 12:36 PM Five-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has said he hopes to one day play an American football game in China.

The New England Patriots quarterback is on his first trip to the world's most populous country aimed at promoting in a huge potential market.

Like other US sports leagues, the NFL is trying to build a fan base among China's 1.4 billion people, where the number of viewers watching games on digital platforms is growing rapidly.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this year the league was aiming to hold a regular season game in China within the next couple of years.

"My dream is to play a game here in China some day," Brady said.

"It's just a great event and hopefully a lot of the Chinese people would enjoy it."

American football lags behind soccer and basketball in China, but the NFL is pushing links with more than a dozen platforms on regular television and online to help reach viewers.

This year's Super Bowl, won by Brady's Patriots, was streamed live for the first time in China.

While in Beijing, 39-year-old Brady visited the Great Wall outside the Chinese capital, and joined a martial arts training session.

Brady is scheduled to visit Shanghai and Tokyo this week.

Source: AAP