International Expansion of NWHL: A Sports Management Report

This report examines the international expansion strategy of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), focusing on its potential entry into the Chinese market. It begins with an introduction to the league, its mission, and its goals for global promotion, specifically targeting Asia and China. The report provides specific business data, sales and growth opportunities, and potential costs associated with the expansion. A detailed sports organization analysis, including a SWOT analysis, is presented to assess the league's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report also analyzes the target nation, China, including its current economic status and the state of its sports industry. It addresses political and policy challenges and benefits, offering a comprehensive overview of the expansion plan. References are provided to support the information presented.

Running head: SPORTS MANAGEMENT
Sports management
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Overview..........................................................................................................................................4
Specific Business Data....................................................................................................................4
Sales and Growth Opportunities in Target Nation..........................................................................4
Potential Costs Associated...............................................................................................................5
Sports Organization Analysis..........................................................................................................6
SWOT Analysis...............................................................................................................................6
Readiness of the Organization.........................................................................................................7
Target Nation Analysis....................................................................................................................7
Current Status of the Target Nation’s Economy..............................................................................7
Analysis of the Sports Industry in the country................................................................................8
Political and policy Challenges and Benefits..................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The following report will be dealing with the international expansion, global marketing
along with the global promotion of the National Women’s Hockey League which serves as an
annual hockey league participated by teams from different regions of USA comprising of all
women players. To be more specific the following league is an Ice hockey league and was
established in the year 2015 with just four teams to start with. These four teams are said to be the
founding members of the league (nwhl.zone, 2018). The four teams are Boston Pride, Minnesota
Whitecaps, Buffalo Beauts and Connecticut Whale. The following league was termed to be the
first professional Women’s hockey league in North America to pay its players. The mission
statement of the organization is to help the women players come forward in the industry and earn
equal money as their male counterparts. The introduction of the Isobel Cup in the following
league helped in the formation of a strong financial base for the league and attracted many a
talented young woman to the game. The report here aims to throw light on the target of the
following organization to market and promote itself globally. The company has targeted the
Asian market to spread its wings in the eastern part of the globe and has chosen the Asian
powerhouses China to spread the promotion of the league. The popularity of Ice Hockey in
China is one of the main factors behind the selection of the country to spread the following game
in China. Apart from this the National Women’s Hockey League aims to capture the growing
market of China and enhance the spread of the game across the continent slowly. The League
organizing committee will be entering into an agreement with the Chinese Ice Hockey
Federation and will invest a healthy amount of money to promote new Women’s Ice Hockey
League in China and helps the Chinese women by providing them a new road for their
empowerment. The report will be identifying the way by which the company aims to establish

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the US women’s ice hockey by organizing a number of different events and programs and by
also arranging some of the league matches in China.
Overview
Specific Business Data
The management of the National Women’s Hockey league has been undergoing a
number of changes since the last year (nwhl.zone, 2018). A serious round of meetings over the
past few months has led to the decision of making the organization a much more professional
and followed league across the globe. After a round of discussions with the chairman, officials
and a number of different stakeholders of the league, the decision to expand the league outside
USA was taken. A majority vote by the members of the organization selected China as the ideal
market of Asia to promote the league (Sung & Mills, 2017). The main source of increasing the
viewership content in the country is seen by means of partnering an American based sports
channel with that of a Chinese Television network. Such a deal will be necessary and the most
ideal way to promote and increase the viewership content of the country. Apart from this the
Sports Federation has also plans to organize live matches of the professional league in China
with collaboration with the Chinese Ice Hockey Federation to make the game more popular
among the women in the country.
Sales and Growth Opportunities in Target Nation
The interest in Ice Hockey is already present in China. However, the lack of proper
infrastructure and proper investment in the game has restricted the Chinese Ice Hockey
Federation to promote the game on a large platform. The absence of a professional Women’s

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Hockey League in China is perhaps the largest growth opportunity for the National Women’s
hockey League in China. According to, Hänninen (2017) the organization of different kinds of
promotional events and programs to promote the Ice Hockey program in the Asian country can
really add winds to the sails of the Women’s Ice Hockey in China. The success of the
promotional events thus holds the key to the gradual popularity and spread of the league in the
country. The best promotional and marketing event that is being hatched by the ideas of both the
federations in USA and China are to start a new Women’s pro League in China with the logical
and technical expertise of the National Women’s Hockey League of USA. Apart from this the
organization can also arrange some friendly matches amongst the league teams of China and that
of USA in both the countries. The organizations can also arrange a friendly international match
between the Woman’s Ice Hockey teams of both the countries. Experts believe that the
promotional events to be carried out by the National Women’s Hockey League can help in the
development of the game in China and will thus see a considerable market rise. The
developmental agreement and the programs can also be beneficial for the Chinese players as they
may get an opportunity to play in the National Women’s Soccer League in the near future.
Potential Costs Associated
The memorandum of understanding that will be signed by the organizations of both the
countries will involve all the technical and financial clauses involved in the lead up to such a
complex and varied range of plan. An estimated cost of around $2 billion will be invested by the
organization in charge of the National Women’s Hockey League to ensure the best ways of
promotion and marketing of the organization. The establishment of the plan and its proper
implementation will be helpful for the achievement of the actual goals of the organization.

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Sports Organization Analysis
SWOT Analysis
STRENGTH OPPORTUNITIES
 Financial Strength of the association
along with proper backing
 Promoting Women’s Hockey is the
main strength of the organization
 Large untapped areas of Woman’s Ice
Hockey market in China
 Diversification and Scope
WEAKNESSES THREATS
 Absence of proper infrastructure for
Women’s Ice Hockey
 Lack of interest among the woman
community on Ice Hockey
 Distance is a real threat in organizing
matches every now and then
 Introduction of two Chinese Ice Hockey
teams in Canadian Women’s ice
Hockey League
Strengths- The financial backing and the financial strength of the organization is a source of
great strength for the organization (Hänninen et al., 2016). The presence of American and
Chinese investors is strength for the association. Apart from this the pledge to promote Women’s
Hockey in China is itself one of the biggest strengths of the organization.
Weaknesses- The absence of proper infrastructure for the conduction of a pro hockey league in
China is a major weakness (Turner, 2017). The lack of proper interest is also another main
weakness that can hamper the promotional activities of the company in China.
Opportunities- The large untapped areas of Women’s Hockey market in China are a great
opportunity for the company to establish itself gradually. The large-scale diversification of the
game provides a large scope for its success in China.

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Threats- The introduction of two of the teams of China in the Canadian Women’s hockey league
obviously indicates the growing influence of Canadian League in the country. Therefore the
National Women’s Hockey league have to act fast and smart to capture the market in China.
Readiness of the Organization
The above shown SWOT Analysis has clearly highlighted the strengths and the weakness
of the organization. It has also presented the opportunities and the looming threats that tend to
disrupt the expansion process (Hänninen et al., 2016). Thought the organization is quite ready to
venture in China some crucial points like establishment of the time, planning the budget, lack of
expertise still needs to be addressed to ensure the complete success of the following plan. The
addressing of all such plans will help to make the establishment totally ready to expand the
business accordingly.
Target Nation Analysis
Current Status of the Target Nation’s Economy
China is the second largest economy of the world and the leading country in terms of the
growth of the economy. The status of the country in terms of economy is thus quite well enough.
As mentioned earlier the availability of large amount of funds will help to execute the plan of
promotion of US Women’s Ice Hockey in China a success.

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Analysis of the Sports Industry in the country
The rising popularity of Women’s Ice Hockey in China and the ambitious plan of the
Chinese Government to help the Women’s Ice Hockey team of China to win the Olympic Gold
clearly describe the rising market of the country in terms of the following game.
Political and policy Challenges and Benefits
The US Ice Hockey Federation has to address all the challenges that may occur as a result
of the MOU between both the federations of China and USA (nwhl.zone, 2018). The USA
Federation has to provide a large amount of money in order to establish a ice hockey base in
China. The organization must also share the fees of the match organization with its counterpart.
The maintenance of all such facilities will be useful for the success of the goals of the sports
organization.

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References
Hänninen, T. (2017). The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool in the Management of Concussion
in Professional Ice Hockey.
Hänninen, T., Tuominen, M., Parkkari, J., Vartiainen, M., Öhman, J., Iverson, G. L., & Luoto, T.
M. (2016). Sport concussion assessment tool–3rd edition–normative reference values for
professional ice hockey players. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 19(8), 636-
641.
Leeds, M. A., Von Allmen, P., & Matheson, V. A. (2018). The economics of sports. Routledge.
Nwhl.zone. (2018). National Women's Hockey League. [online] Available at:
https://www.nwhl.zone/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2018].
Sigmund, M., Kohn, S., & Sigmundová, D. (2016). Assessment of basic physical parameters of
current Canadian-American National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey players. Acta
Gymnica, 46(1), 30-36. (Sigmund, M., Kohn & Sigmundová, 2016)
Turner, P. (2017). Professional sport. In Understanding Sport Management (pp. 62-75).
Routledge.