Why the World Cup is a bridge to the world for Hisense
Hisense’s evolution can be measured in square footage.
At CES this year, the global TV and home appliances manufacturer commanded a sprawling, 21,000-square-foot exhibit — the crown jewel of the Central Hall. Ten years earlier, it debuted with a small booth tucked away in the South Hall.
That physical expansion mirrors a financial one. Over the past decade, Hisense has become an international juggernaut, with overseas revenue surpassing $15 billion in 2025, up from $3.5 billion in 2016, the company said.
Beyond the convention floor, one of the company’s most powerful growth engines has been its embrace of global language: sports. For the third consecutive World Cup, Hisense will be the global sponsor.
The strategy has delivered. From 2018 to 2024, Hisense reported a 70% increase in global revenue growth, a 160% rise in overseas revenue, a 156% jump in brand value and a 56% lift in brand awareness.
“Sports is the universal language to connect with our audience globally,” Paul Zhang, Hisense Global Commercial Center’s general manager of brand and marketing, told The Current.
Hisense’s CEO Fisher Yu put it even more simply last year: “The World Cup is a bridge to the world.”
The focus on sports is a natural fit for the company, which now leads the global market for 100-inch and larger TVs.
This May, Hisense will roll out a global campaign ahead of the World Cup in June, supported by an omnichannel strategy that will lean on retail data from retailers worldwide.
“By showing up during these massive events, they position their products at the exact moment of consumption, showing fans how their technology can turn their living room into a front-row stadium seat,” Jacob Lane, senior digital media strategist at Doe-Anderson, told The Current.
Hisense’s sports marketing history
Hisense is a fixture across several sports leagues, with partnerships spanning the NBA, FIFA, UEFA, Formula 1 and NASCAR.
Its first sports marketing moment came in 2008 when the Australian Open venue was renamed Hisense Arena, the first time a Chinese company held the naming rights to a stadium.
Still, the turning point came in 2016 when Hisense sponsored the UEFA European Championship. Catherine Fang, vice president of Hisense Group, said the deal transformed the company’s sports strategy from regional to international.
“Long-term sports partnerships are most effective when they prioritize consistency over novelty,” Alison Steinlauf Anziska, senior vice president of marketing at Edmunds, told The Current. “Repeated exposure across multiple tournament cycles creates the frequency needed to shape consumer behavior, allowing awareness to build into familiarity, credibility and everyday consideration over time.”
Even with a global footprint, Zhang emphasized the importance of reaching local audiences authentically.
“We have different strategies [locally versus globally],” Zhang said. “You cannot be the same. Everyone has different views, so we need to communicate differently to everyone.”
For years, Hisense built its reputation on value. Now the gap between price and performance is shrinking thanks to technology and innovation. At CES this year, Hisense introduced the RGB MiniLED evo, a next-generation TV that signals its push into a more premium tier.
David Gold, deputy general manager of Hisense Americas, described the change this way: Instead of shoppers noticing Hisense because of its price tag, they’re starting to go to the store looking specifically for a Hisense by name.
The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk, Inc.