China continues to stand as “the most significant and biggest market” for table tennis, while new investment in North America and Europe is poised to accelerate the sport’s global reach, said Steve Dainton, CEO of World Table Tennis.

Hong Kong is the latest component in that strategy. The special administrative region is hosting the WTT Finals under a three-year deal this week, as the city seeks to become Asia’s sports capital.  

Speaking exclusively to China Daily the evening before the event kicked off at the Hong Kong Coliseum on Wednesday, Dainton said early ticket sales indicate that the city could be a long-term stop for the tour. The final five sessions — from Friday evening through the weekend — were completely sold out ahead of the competition, reflecting strong demand for major international table tennis events in the SAR, according to Dainton.

The International Table Tennis Federation — the 99-year-old world-governing body of table tennis — established WTT in 2019 to modernize the sport’s commercial structure and centralize event operations. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed its rollout, making 2025 the first year WTT could deliver its full calendar.

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China has become the economic anchor of WTT’s event portfolio. The Beijing Grand Smash, only in its second edition, has already raked in direct revenue of more than 150 million yuan ($21.3 million) and delivered tangible economic benefits to the host city. Dainton describes it as a sign that the business formula is working for stakeholders.

Beyond its commercial viability, China is where table tennis commands unmatched cultural visibility. It is also home to many of the sport’s top athletes, whose global following drives demand beyond Asia. “Without China as a huge market, it would be not easy for us to even develop the other parts of the world,” he said.

Dainton said there has been a notable change in how Chinese cities view the sport’s economic potential. When WTT launched, the organization had to persuade local authorities that table tennis could drive tourism spending and urban visibility. “Now, cities are lining up to host,” said Dainton, adding that it is a “sweet problem” that the WTT now faces more demand from Chinese cities than it can accommodate.

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The reliance on China has raised concerns about geographic concentration, but Dainton brushed those aside. He cited golf and the PGA, whose center of gravity remains concentrated in the United States. “We should go where the market is,” he said.

Nonetheless, WTT has invested heavily in diversification. It debuted its US Smash 2025 contest in downtown Las Vegas and launched the inaugural Europe Smash in Malmo, Sweden, hoping to establish a long-term foothold in markets where table tennis isn’t yet a major commercial sport.

But Dainton cautioned that global growth is not instantaneous. While events in China can achieve “instant success”, international markets with an untapped commercial upside typically require a two- to three-year runway to mature. One case in point is the Singapore Smash, now approaching its fifth year, as proof that patience pays off — with ticket sales and sponsorship interest now surging after an initial education period.

Over the next five years, WTT expects sponsorship to be its fastest-growing revenue category. A complete and more predicable annual calendar, stabilized only in 2025, gives global brands the consistency required for multiyear investment.

The sport’s media-rights performance still lags its global viewership potential, and as digital consumption continues to reshape the industry, WTT has been rethinking its media strategy, including launching its proprietary platforms to capture greater value from its global viewership.

Despite the challenges, Dainton believes the sport is entering its strongest growth cycle in decades. Table tennis has been one of the fastest-growing global sports businesses since the pandemic, he said, and WTT expects commercial performance to double or triple in the coming decade. “We’re really just at the beginning,” he said. “There is enormous room for growth.”

Contact the writer at sophialuo@chinadailyhk.com