Starz Sports

What Starz Sports does

Zhonghui Sports (众辉体育 / Starz Sports) is a privately-held Beijing-based international sports management and marketing firm founded in 2004 by Lu Hao, formerly Yao Ming's Chinese agent, on the foundation of "Yao's Team" (姚之队). The company operates five integrated business verticals: athlete representation (managing 50+ elite athletes including Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yang, Lin Dan, Olympic figure skater Zhu Yi, Paris 2024 synchronized swimming champions Wang Liuyi/Wang Qianyi, and Paralympic champions Liu Cuiqing & Xu Donglin); sports marketing (brokering sponsorship deals between major brands such as China Life, Xtep, Unilever, and Maxxis and sports properties); IP event operations (owning and operating three proprietary event brands); sports training (government-authorized certification programs for sports agents, CBA Grade D/E coaches, and event managers); and sports industry consulting (in partnership with the China Sports Economics Research Center).

The company's proprietary event IP portfolio is its most distinctive asset: the NYBO Youth Basketball Open spans 170+ cities and has cumulatively engaged 170,000+ youth aged 4-16, supported by the General Administration of Sport and the Chinese Basketball Association; the 星耀未来 Youth Badminton Open (launched 2024) covers 52+ cities with ~20,000 youth participants; and the Hood to Coast 越山向海 relay (Asia-Pacific permanent rights) targets elite business and finance communities. Core technology is described as a "sports management and event operations platform" with standardized competition formats, professional officiating, and digital service systems for data analytics — supplied primarily through technology partner 我奥体育 (Woao Sports) rather than proprietary AI/ML systems.

The company monetizes through five revenue streams: (1) athlete representation commissions on endorsement deals and management fees (e.g., Yi Jianlian with ExxonMobil/Zhujiang Beer/OPPO, Wang Liuyi/Wang Qianyi with GUCCI/BURBERRY/L'Oréal/NIO/BYD); (2) sports marketing agency fees and success commissions on sponsorship placements (China Life as CBA's first main sponsor since 2017, FIBA World Cup 2019 sponsor); (3) event operations revenue from management fees, sponsorship sales, and participation fees across NYBO and 星耀未来; (4) training course fees from 16+ sports agent training sessions and 40+ basketball coach training sessions; (5) consulting fees on sports towns, venues, and commercial complexes. The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds and operates from headquarters in Beijing's Dongcheng District.

Name

Starz Sports

Legal name

北京众辉国际体育管理有限公司

Website

https://starzsports.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zhonghui Sports (众辉体育) is a privately-held Beijing sports management and marketing firm founded in 2004, operating five business lines: athlete representation (50+ elite athletes), sports marketing, proprietary youth event IPs (NYBO basketball, 星耀未来 badminton, Hood to Coast relay), certified training, and industry consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Management Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Marketing, Sponsorship Sales & Activation (MPAKAKAB), Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers) (MPAKAKAA), Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK)

Keywords

• Sports management services
• Athlete representation
• Sports event operations
• Sports marketing services
• Sports training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 运动员经纪 (Athlete Representation): Agency services for professional athletes including career planning, personal brand development, and commercial endorsement deals. The company represents over 50 athletes including Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yang, and others, earning commissions from endorsement deals and management fees.
2. 体育营销 (Sports Marketing): Connecting brands with sports properties, athletes, and events. Services include brand insight analysis, sports resource matching, marketing planning, event execution, and PR communication. Revenue from agency fees and success commissions from sponsorship deals.
3. 赛事运营 (Event Operations): Creating, planning, and operating sports events including youth basketball (NYBO), marathon relay (越山向海), badminton (星耀未来), and other IP events. Revenue from event management fees, sponsorship sales, and media rights.
4. 体育培训 (Sports Training): Professional skills training including sports agent certification, basketball coach certification (Grade D/E from Chinese Basketball Association), sports event management, and youth sports education. Revenue from training course fees.
5. 体育产业咨询 (Sports Industry Consulting): Industry research and consulting on sports industry, venues, sports towns, and sports commercial complexes. Working with China Sports Economics Research Center.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Starz Sports (众辉体育) is a Beijing-based international sports management and marketing organization founded in 2004, operating five business lines: athlete representation (50+ athletes including Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yang), proprietary sports event IP operations (NYBO youth basketball, 星耀未来 youth badminton, 越山向海 Hood to Coast relay), sports marketing and sponsorship brokerage, professional sports training and certification, and sports industry consulting.

Product overview

众辉体育是一家专业的国际化体育管理与营销机构，以“姚之队”为班底成立于2004年，在体育产业核心领域深耕细作21年。公司构建了以IP赛事运营、运动员经纪、体育营销、体育培训和体育产业咨询为核心的五大业务板块。主要产品包括：NYBO青少年篮球公开赛（覆盖170+城市、170,000+青少年）、星耀未来青少年羽毛球公开赛、姚基金希望小学篮球季、越山向海人车接力赛等IP赛事；运动员经纪服务代理50+优秀运动员；体育经纪人等级培训和中国篮协教练员培训等职业技能培训；以及体育产业咨询服务。公司通过“产品思维”运营IP、以“长期主义”发展青少年体育平台，致力于构建覆盖多品类的综合性青少年体育赛事平台。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NYBO青少年篮球公开赛: 青少年篮球公开赛，创办于2017年，已落地全国超过170个城市，累计覆盖170,000+名4-16岁青少年
• 星耀未来青少年羽毛球公开赛
• 越山向海人车接力赛
• 姚基金希望小学篮球季

Products and services

• NYBO Youth Basketball Open (NYBO青少年篮球公开赛) Proprietary youth basketball tournament system for players aged 4-16, structured as a full-year season including spring/autumn regional events, national finals, and international competition. Supported by the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Basketball Association. Targets youth athletes, families, schools, sponsors, and media; provides a pathway for talent identification into professional basketball.
• 星耀未来 Youth Badminton Open (星耀未来青少年羽毛球公开赛) Proprietary youth amateur badminton tournament system for players outside school teams, launched in 2024. Implemented in 52+ cities with nearly 20,000 youth participants and coverage of 2,000+ badminton training institutions nationwide. Targets youth athletes, families, training institutions, and event sponsors.
• HOOD to COAST 越山向海 Relay Race (越山向海人车接力赛)

Quantifiable outcome

• NYBO national finals generated approximately 4.8 billion RMB in comprehensive economic benefits over 8 days in Xiamen
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• 补水啦 (Bushuila)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Electrolyte drink brand Bushuila named sponsor of 星耀未来青少年羽毛球公开赛 and has partnered with NYBO for 4 seasons, covering 200+ competition zones nationwide.
• 东鹏饮料 (Dongpeng Beverage)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Dongpeng Bushuila partnered with NYBO for 4 seasons, enhancing brand visibility among youth sports participants.
• 小黄象食品科技 (Xiaohuangxiang Food Technology)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Official partner providing food/nutrition support for NYBO national finals.
• 美凯地板 (Maikai Flooring)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Official partner providing venue flooring solutions for NYBO events.
• 金陵体育 (Jinling Sports)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Official partner providing sports equipment for NYBO national finals.
• 特步 (Xtep)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Sports apparel brand partnered with athlete Zhang Zhenlin and NYBO events.
• 抖音体育 (Douyin Sports)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2025Short video platform Douyin providing media coverage and promotion for NYBO national finals.
• 汤臣倍健 (By-Health)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Facilitated By-Health becoming official bone health nutrition product supplier for Hangzhou Asian Games - first time bone health nutrition category opened for Asian Games sponsorship.
• 国家体育总局青少司 (General Administration of Sport of China Youth Department)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Government support for NYBO青少年篮球公开赛, providing authoritative backing for the youth basketball competition system.
• 中国篮球协会 (Chinese Basketball Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CBA provides official support and guidance for NYBO events, creating pathway for youth players.
• 中国人寿 (China Life Insurance)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Zhonghui facilitated China Life becoming official sponsor of 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup China, establishing China Life at the pinnacle of Chinese basketball sponsorship.
• 水性科天 (Water-based Kuti)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Facilitated Water-based Kuti becoming official partner of Houston Rockets (basketball rim signage rights) and subsequently CBA official sponsor - first high-tech environmental protection enterprise in CBA history, creating 'Sports + Environmental Protection' innovation case.
• 中国人寿 (China Life Insurance)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017China Life became CBA's first main sponsor following Zhonghui's brokerage, transforming CBA sponsorship landscape. China Life has co-sponsored NYBO for 8 consecutive years, providing insurance services to young athletes and gaining brand exposure through youth basketball events.
• 姚基金 (Yao Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Long-term partnership with Yao Foundation for Hope Primary School Basketball Season charity program, benefiting 1,500 project schools since 2012. Also partnered for charity matches including 2007 Yao & Nash Charity Game.
• 中国体育经济研究中心 (China Sports Economics Research Center)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership for industry research, consultation, and project planning in sports industry, venues, sports towns, and sports commercial complexes.
• 联合利华/中华牙膏 (Unilever/Zhonghua toothpaste)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Facilitated Unilever's Zhonghua toothpaste becoming strategic partner of Chinese National Badminton Team for 3-year contract, with Lin Dan attending brand events.
• 玛吉斯轮胎 (Maxxis Tires)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009Facilitated Maxxis becoming naming sponsor of Shanghai Sharks (CBA) for 7 years of continuous partnership.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mailman Group (邮人体育): Shanghai-based digital sports marketing agency serving global brands entering China and Chinese brands going global, with strong relationships across Chinese sports IP and athletes. Closest direct peer among Chinese independents in terms of scope (sports marketing + athlete access + event activation) and target customer (corporate brands seeking sports audiences).
• SECA (盛力世家): Beijing-headquartered sports marketing and event management firm that operates proprietary sports IPs and runs athlete endorsement brokering, with strong Chinese Olympic committee ties. Closely comparable in business mix to Zhonghui across athlete representation, event IP, and sports marketing.
• Double A Sports (双刃剑体育): Chinese sports marketing and athlete management firm founded by sports agent industry veteran, focused on brokering Chinese athletes to international brands and vice versa. Direct competitor in the same athlete representation + sports marketing niche within the Chinese market.

Broad incumbents

• Wasserman: US-based sports marketing and talent management firm (formerly Wasserman Media Group) operating athlete representation, brand consulting, and sports properties. Comparable to Zhonghui's athlete representation plus sponsorship brokerage business, with overlapping client types (consumer brands seeking athlete endorsements).
• Endeavor (formerly WME-IMG): Global sports and entertainment giant with IMG's athlete representation, event management (UFC, PBR, Open), and sponsorship sales divisions. Endeavor's acquisition of IMG and PLE combines the world's largest sports talent agency with global event IP — directly comparable to Zhonghui's athlete + event + sponsorship bundle, but at vastly greater scale and with deeper global brand relationships.
• CAA (Creative Artists Agency): Hollywood-rooted talent agency that has aggressively built a sports division (CAA Sports) representing elite athletes and brokering major sponsorship deals. Directly competes for Chinese athletes with global appeal (e.g., Olympic swimmers, golfers, figure skaters) — the exact roster tier Zhonghui represents.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency owned by Interpublic, focused on athlete representation, event management, and sponsorship consulting. Closely comparable to Zhonghui's sports marketing and consulting practices, with parallel offerings around brand-to-property matching and athlete endorsement brokering.

Regional players

• Lander Sports (莱茵体育 / 莱茵达): A-share-listed Chinese sports company with operations across sports event management, sports IP, and sports real estate (sports towns/complexes). Overlaps with Zhonghui on event IP and sports industry consulting, particularly the 'sports town' vertical where Zhonghui's subsidiary 众辉商置 operates.
• Beijing Enterprises Urban Construction (北京北体大): Chinese sports media and event operator with strong ties to Beijing Sport University and government sports bodies, running both professional and grassroots sports events in China. Comparable on the youth and amateur sports event operation side of Zhonghui's business, especially the policy/government-backed portion.

Others

• Tencent Sports / Tencent Sports IP platform: Digital platform arm of Tencent that distributes Chinese basketball content (CBA media rights) and runs proprietary events and sponsorships. Not a direct competitor for athlete representation, but a strategic counterpart in the Chinese basketball ecosystem where Zhonghui operates NYBO and represents CBA players.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beijing-starz-international-sports-management-co-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starz Sports