Jamie UK will love this one:
The trek to China began a decade ago with the U.K.'s tiny Crystal Palace club, which faced potential demotion from the Premiership--England's top league--and the threat of bankruptcy if that occurred. Palace bet on a pair of Chinese national team defenders for $1.7 million, roughly a quarter of the team's annual broadcasting revenue. Sun Jihai and Fan Zhiyi were the first Chinese players to suit up for a British club and within weeks appeared in the first live broadcast of English soccer on national television in China. More than 100 million viewers tuned in, a larger audience than what the nfl's Super Bowl drew in the U.S. this year. Suddenly floundering Palace was the most popular soccer team in China.
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