Bayern expands Bilibili deal with monthly shows in China

Bayern Munich and Bilibili will produce monthly live shows from a Shanghai studio as part of an expanded partnership that also includes events for local content creators.The shows will use local presenters who have worked with Bayern for several years, giving the club a regular live format on a platform where it ranks third among football clubs by follower count.Rouven Kasper, Bayern’s board member for marketing and sales, said: “China is a key market for FC Bayern.“We’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our office in Shanghai, we were active in the region from an early stage and have maintained a continuous, authentic dialogue ever since.“With Bilibili, we have a partner at our side who knows the local fans’ digital world inside out and is already connecting us with our fans every day.“We look forward to further developing this partnership and getting even more people excited about FC Bayern.”Bayern was the first major European football club to launch on Bilibili and recorded more than one million interactions in the first three months of this season, putting it first among international clubs on the platform by that measure, according to the club.Bilibili has identified almost 4,500 creators who publish content about Bayern, more than half of whom are categorised outside its sports section.Stefan Mennerich, Bayern’s director of media, media rights and communications, said: “FC Bayern ranks among the top three internationally on digital platforms in China, which demonstrates the club’s immense popularity in the region.“Our focus is always on strengthening and fostering our connection with people and maintaining direct contact with them.“Together with the Bilibili platform, we can create new digital experiences for the active and diverse local community.”The partnership has also provided a platform for Bayern’s commercial partners, with Paulaner among the brands involved in six campaigns offering digital stickers and decorations, including promotions linked to Oktoberfest.Bayern has run more campaigns of this kind on Bilibili than any other international club and says it is the only club to have offered an interactive live format on the platform, having staged a question-and-answer session with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in May.The next joint event is a creator match in Shanghai on November 12, with former Bayern midfielder Javi Martínez due to attend.It follows the first edition in Chengdu in November 2025, where former Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro was the guest.