There’s New Model for Innovation in the Service Sector, but Can It Be Replicated? (AI Translation)

【周刊提前读】“苏超”成服务业创新样本 能否复制？

The "Sucao" Jiangsu Provincial City Football League, first held in 2025, has rapidly evolved into a sports and social phenomenon in China. On July 5, 2025, a record 60,396 fans attended the sixth-round highlight match between Nanjing and Suzhou at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, setting an all-time high for amateur football event attendance in China and breaking the previous "Sucao" single-match attendance record. Sucao's format mirrors China's professional "Super League" (CSL), with 13 city teams representing each prefectural-level city in Jiangsu and specific eligibility rules emphasizing local identity and limiting the number of professional players per team [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3].

The inaugural season began in May 2025, planned over seven months with 85 matches, utilizing a regular season plus playoffs. Early rounds had moderate audience numbers: the first round averaged 7,745 spectators per game, while the second averaged 9,852, already surpassing the 2025 China League One's 6,467 average and many CSL matches [para. 4][para. 5]. Sucao's popularity soared after a May 28 public campaign, igniting widespread online discussion and boosting search volumes related to "Sucao" by over 800% in weeks. This buzz translated into surging match attendance: 22,198 for a Xuzhou game on May 31, increasing average third-round attendance to 15,025 [para. 6][para. 7][para. 8].

Sucao's low ticket pricing (RMB 10–20) and early rounds with free admission fueled demand, making tickets a coveted commodity as the league became a sensation. Successive rounds saw escalating audience records: 30,800 in Xuzhou (June 15), 36,700 in Changzhou (June 21), and 43,600 in Suzhou (June 29), culminating in the record-setting Nanjing-Suzhou clash [para. 9]. Sucao broadcasts expanded to over 20 platforms, including major national outlets, and widespread "big screen" public viewings extended reach and economic impact [para. 10][para. 11].

The league’s commercial value multiplied. Sucao’s sponsors increased from 8 at inception to 27 by July 1, with local giants like HLA and Longpan Technology joined by national and global brands, from JD.com and Xiaomi to KFC and Pizza Hut. Alibaba swiftly sponsored four teams with various business units in June and July while leveraging cross-promotions and consumer giveaways linked to match events [para. 12][para. 13][para. 14].

The economic ripple effect has been profound: Ctrip data suggests provincial tourism orders rose nearly 10%, with single items like hotel stays, attraction tickets, and flights up by 9%, 10%, and 19%, respectively. Estimates point to Sucao driving over RMB 300 million in aggregate economic benefits across Jiangsu, with an average incremental gain of RMB 20 million per city [para. 15][para. 16][para. 17]. DiDi data showed local transportation demand at times more than doubling and a marked rise in overnight hotel stays and theme park visitors during match weekends [para. 18][para. 19].

The league’s brand impact extended beyond football, boosting local hospitality, dining, cultural product sales, and online merchandise: more than 30,000 Sucao T-shirts and 50,000 related cultural items sold online in just two weeks, with over 80% purchased by consumers outside Jiangsu [para. 20]. The success is credited to Jiangsu’s balanced city economies, strong football tradition, effective government coordination, and adept use of social media and local culture for promotion [para. 21][para. 22].

Sucao’s rise has prompted other provinces to try replicating its model (e.g., “Chuan Chao” in Sichuan and “Zhe Chao” in Zhejiang), though experts caution that local economic and cultural conditions are crucial and not every region can duplicate Sucao’s formula [para. 23]. Sucao also exemplifies how sports events can activate underused stadiums, drive tourism, invigorate city nightlife, and generate commercial synergy among brands, local businesses, and cultural enterprises—a multi-sectoral model now being studied across China [para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27].