(Yicai Global) May 17 -- SAIC Motor Corp. will become an official sponsor of the Chinese Football Association Super League, CSL, as the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals will kick off in Russia next month, bringing the game to millions of viewers all around the world, including China where the government strives for the country's national team to qualify for future World Cup final tournaments.

The Shanghai-based large state-owned automaker today met with the operator of China's top football league to become the CSL's official partner this year.

The main benefits of the deal for SAIC include digital panel advertising on the football field, on-site large-screen advertising and auto show at designated areas. SAIC logo will also appear on the backboard of the CSL press conference hall, post-game interviews, interview areas and VIP area billboards, reported news portal Tencent Auto.

The cooperation with the CSL will effectively enhance SAIC's brand awareness and influence, Xu Min, general manager of public relations department at SAIC, said. The CSL is currently the highest-valued football league in Asia. Last year, the total number of its field attendance was more than 5.7 million, and the average number of spectators per game reached 23,700, ranking fifth in the world, he added.

Last year, the total sales volume of SAIC including joint venture and its own brands reached 6.93 million units, making up 23.2 percent market share, ranking first in the country for 13 consecutive years. In the first four months of this year, the group achieved sales of 2.39 million units, up 10.8 percent over the same period last year.

This is not the first time SAIC has been looking for a partner in the football field. Since 2016, the group has been the sponsor of the Shanghai SIPG Football Club team in CSL games. SIPG were the league runner-up last season.

Editor: Mevlut Katik