South China Morning Post will launch two new regular supplements this autumn. Footy, a weekly supplement will kick off on August 13 to coincide with the start of the English Premiere League season and China Business, a monthly supplement to the Business section, will be launched on September 5.
Commenting on these developments, Managing Director Nancy Valiente said, "We work continuously to provide news, analysis and features that are of great value and interest to our readers. 70% of our readers read our China news coverage regularly and 38% of our readers are avid sports fans. We’re building on these strong interests with these new supplements."
Footy, the first of the two to debut, will be edited by Deputy Sports Editor Donal Sculley. He expects the new product to set his readers up perfectly for the weekend’s games in England and beyond. "Footy is packed with match previews, statistics and behind-the-scenes gossip," he says, "It also boasts two world-famous football columnists in John Dykes and Nick Pulford who will ensure that whether you’re a partisan fan or an armchair critic you’re never at a loss for insightful tips and expert analysis."
To top off the Footy launch, SCMP.com will simultaneously launch an online fantasy football competition. SCMP.com readers can become virtual team managers with a £100 million budget and stand to win fabulous monthly prizes. At the end of the season, the overall winner will receive a free return ticket to London to watch an EPL match live.
Meanwhile, China Business will focus each month on a specific sector, with the first issue covering the telecommunications industry. China Business Editor, Elaine Chan describes the supplement as giving "an Asian perspective of China and the cultural climate that affects the way business is done".
SCMP sees a need in the market for in-depth analysis, different perspectives, and thought-provoking treatment of current business issues in China. "Unlike other business publications who re-purpose editorial content or use wire stories, our content will be 100% original, written by 24 journalists based in our three China bureaus", says Chan. "We will provide customized ‘news you can use’ to give our China business readers ‘hands-on’ information which they can convert into a competitive advantage."
About the South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.
The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.
South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
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For further information please contact
(English press)
Amanda Turnbull
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 2250 3130
Email: amanda.turnbull@scmp.com
(Chinese press)
Prudence Lai
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 2565 2415
Email: pruence.lai@scmp.com