Asia News: Coronavirus Forces Cancellations, CJ ENM Acquires AFC Rights

As the death toll of the Wuhan coronavirus continues to climb in China, many Asian concert tours and other events are being cancelled. The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced on Jan. 30 that it was calling off its February tour of China, South Korea and Taiwan after organizers in China cancelled the Shanghai performance, according to Boston TV station WCVB.

“Please know that we are all passionately committed to a future visit to East Asia soon,” said the orchestra’s music director in a statement. “Most importantly, our hearts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by the coronavirus.” Mark Volpe, the orchestra’s CEO and president said about cancelling the stops outside of China, “Unfortunately [the cancellation] includes the BSO’s performances in Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong, areas much less impacted by the virus, as it remains unclear how travel in and out of these regions will be affected in the coming weeks.” 

The Asia trip would have been the BSO’s 29th international tour and its first ever to Seoul. In 1960, the ensemble was scheduled to perform in South Korea but cancelled due to political unrest. The National Symphony Orchestra has also cancelled its three China concerts in March after the U.S. State Department issued travel restrictions. The orchestra is still scheduled to perform in four cities in Japan.

The Pixies have also cancelled their February shows in Shanghai and Beijing after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Other dates on the Pixies’ Asia tour seemed to be unaffected as of Feb. 4. 

Other foreign acts that cancelled February tours of China include the Japanese rock band Suchmos, British R&B singer Craig David, who also cancelled a China show a year ago when complications arose with his visa, American rock band X Ambassadors, and Men I Trust, who have already announced they will make up the dates in August. In addition, Michael Flately’s “Lord of the Dance” has cancelled its eight performances slated for Beijing, despite the fact that the Irish dance troupe was already in China when they made the announcement. The troupe’s five shows in Taiwan went on as planned.

Performances by Asian artists have been heavily affected, and not just those in China. As reported earlier, Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Miriam Yeung and Jolin Tsai have either cancelled or postponed significant portions of their upcoming tours, which take in China, Hong Kong and parts of Southeast Asia. Hong Kong actor and singer Dicky Cheung postponed his Macau concert on Feb. 22 but has yet to announce a new date. 

Mandopop king Jay Chou was supposed to announce new dates for six concerts at Hong Kong Disneyland that were originally slated to take place in December but were postponed due to the city’s ongoing protests. According to the Oriental Daily News, those concerts will not take place until November at the earliest, owing to the virus. It is not certain if Karen Mok’s two eagerly anticipated Hong Kong shows slated for March 20 and 21 will go ahead.

In response to fans’ requests about artists’ safety in lieu of the epidemic, many K-pop agencies are cancelling tours by their charges. According to Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, K-pop acts Taeyeon, Winner and NCT Dream have called off shows in Singapore and Macau. Boy band GOT7 postponed their concerts in Bangkok and Singapore. Also, live showcases in Seoul for Loona and GFriend will be broadcast but will take place without any live audiences as previously planned. In addition, a number of K-pop artist fan meetings have been cancelled in South Korea and Japan due to the virus. Pentagon cancelled their comeback concert and will instead livestream it online. 

Some Asian artists are showing their concern by making donations to fighting the epidemic. Chou and his wife, actress Hannah Quinlivan, gave 3 million yuan ($430,000) to a charity foundation in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic. The K-pop band Super Junior has donated 10,000 face masks to a Korean charity to distribute to children. The Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu also bought 10,000 face masks in Japan for residents of Wuhan, a move that prompted criticism from her countrymen who said, according to the Straits Times, that she should be helping fellow Taiwanese first. As a result, her husband, a prominent Chinese businessman, said he would donate 10,000 face masks to people in Taipei. In addition, China news outlets are reporting that the local fan clubs of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Mariah Carey have been collecting funds from members to provide hospitals with needed supplies. 

In the Philippines, where one man has died from the virus, concert promoters Pulp Live World instituted a temporary policy of mandating face masks for shows at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, first for the K-pop group Seventeen and then for a Korean variety show. For attendees who don’t have their own masks the organizers will supply them. Also, body temperatures are being checked. Nevertheless, the country’s Department of Health has recommended cancelling all concerts for the time being. 

Probably the most severe move to address the epidemic was Macau’s decision to close all of its casinos for at least two weeks. The gambling industry accounts for 80 percent of the territory’s revenue. 

Finally, all theaters in Shanghai have cancelled almost all February performances.

The CJ ENM media group has acquired the rights in South Korea for all Asian Football Confederation properties from 2021 to 2024 in a deal brokered by the DDMC Fortis agency, according to Sportbusiness.com. That arrangement will cover all AFC national team and club competitions starting with the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which starts this September.

CJ ENM, one of South Korea’s biggest entertainment companies, will present AFC matches on its linear and digital channels, with games that feature Korean teams being broadcast live. At present, none of the company’s channels carry sports content, which it mostly gave up in 2009 when it sold its Xports pay-TV channel. 

The company is taking over the rights from pay-TV operator JTBC, which has a deal with Fox Sports and acquired the rights for the 2026-to-2032 Olympic Games.