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The New York Slice, one of Major League Table Tennis’ (MLTT) two recent expansion teams, announced on social media that the Chinese National Tourist Office in New York (CNTO.NY) will sponsor the team during the 2025 MLTT season.
New York will be the first MLTT club to have an individual sponsor, but it won't be the league's last. The league intends to sell 10 team-level sponsorships, one for each of its teams, according to a report from Rob Schaefer of the Sports Business Journal.
“This is the first year that we’re offering team-level sponsorship, so it’s really great to have somebody on the board quickly,” MLTT commissioner and CEO Flint Lane told Sports Business Journal following the deal. “[CNTO.NY] is perfectly aligned with our league.”
The Slice will showcase CNTO.NY branding on all of its uniforms during its inaugural season, including a patch on players’ jerseys. MLTT and CNTO.NY will also reportedly conduct “joint marketing efforts” to educate about Chinese culture, encourage tourism to China and emphasize MLTT athletes with Chinese heritage as part of this deal.
CNTO.NY promotes Chinese culture and tourism to New Yorkers and provides travel agents and tour operators with videos, travel brochures and other tools to “sell China to Americans.” It will join a growing group of organizations that help finance the league in some way, which include table tennis gear brands Butterfly and Battle Palace, as well as background screening company First Advantage, all of whom sponsor the MLTT league.
The MLTT announced the addition of the Slice as one of its two new expansion teams in May, alongside the Atlanta Blazers. The players representing the first-ever team for the Slice franchise, including second overall 2025 MLTT Draft pick Koki Niwa, will be coached by Adam Hugh, a six-time U.S. Men’s National Team member, former U.S. Men’s National Champion, and silver medalist for the 2014 North American Cup.
“New York is home to the most passionate sports fans in the world — a city built on resilience and the relentless pursuit of excellence,” Hugh said in March. “As we bring MLTT to the metropolitan area, I’m excited to help build a winning culture and make every match an electrifying experience for our fans.”
MLTT will begin its third season in September 2025. The Slice will be one of the ten teams vying to become this upcoming season’s champions, a title currently held by the Carolina Gold Rush.
