The exclusive deal, brokered by TMS International, which handles all of the ITTF’s commercial rights, will run for four years between 2017 and 2020.

As part of the agreement, both the ITTF and SECA have agreed to further explore opportunities in overall brand marketing, local activation and new initiatives for the sport.

"This deal with SECA is the first step of a greater partnership to grow the table tennis brand," said ITTF President Thomas Weikert.

"We are excited to be working with a new, motivated partner and we have seen some great work SECA has been doing in several other sporting properties.

"We are sure they will help us to lift our sport to greater heights."

Within the new deal, SECA has obtained the internet and mobile rights within China for the World Championships, the men's, women’s and team World Cups, the World Junior Championships, and the World Tour and World Tour Grand Finals.

It was announced last month that this year's World Team Championships, held in Kuala Lumpur between February 28 and March 6, was the most watched table tennis event on Chinese television in the past five years.

"Table tennis is known as the national sport of China with 190 million people watching the recent World Team Table Tennis Championships and there being 30 million registered table tennis players across the country," said Li Sheng, founder and chief executive of SECA.  

"These facts combined confirms the infinite potential in the Chinese table tennis market, which is shared by both SECA and the ITTF.

"It is SECA's great honour to become one of ITTF's Chinese partners to promote table tennis in China by presenting it as fashionable and entertaining to gain value within China.

"SECA will use new technologies like visual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality within table tennis broadcasts to ensure it becomes more and more attractive and valuable for all stakeholders."

SECA is a sports agency specialising in sports entertainment consulting, talent management, content creation, Government relations, and sports public relations communications.

Its role is to assist with the development of sporting properties with groups such as the Chinese Olympic Committee. 

"TMS International is very pleased to have concluded this agreement with SECA, that will have a particular emphasis to catering to the youth," said Anders Thunstrom, managing director of TMS International.

"I am sure SECA will be an excellent partner for TMS and ITTF in distributing world title events in table tennis over the internet, into mobile phones and other devices."