CMG's Spring Festival Gala: A cultural phenomenon reaching new heights
China 14:11, 29-Jan-2025 CGTN
China Media Group's (CMG) 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday delivered a cultural feast filled with laughter and joy, extending heartfelt wishes for the Year of the Snake to audiences worldwide.
The gala set new records in real-time viewership and interaction on domestic media platforms. Preliminary statistics show 2.8 billion views, a 690 million increase from the previous year.
The vertical screen-viewing feature alone garnered 496 million views, up 18.09 percent from last year, with 286 million users, a 14.4-percent increase.
Social media engagement reached 16.6 billion reads and 670 million interactions, up 13.75 percent from the previous year.
As many as 52 million people benefited from the accessibility features in the broadcast.
China, January 28, 2025. /CMG The gala also achieved record-breaking metrics overseas. CGTN's multi-language channels and platforms, along with over 2,900 media outlets, broadcasted the event live, amassing over 1.59 billion reads and 520 million video views.
The live broadcast on CMG's overseas social media platforms hit a new high of 73.37 million views, a 21.39-percent increase from last year. Japan's Niconico video-sharing site, broadcasting the gala for the 10th consecutive year, attracted over 101,000 simultaneous viewers.
The celebration was showcased on 3,508 public screens across 136 cities in 87 countries, with screen numbers up by 223 and coverage expanding by 77.55 percent and 51 percent in countries and cities, respectively.
Marking the first gala since the UNESCO listing of the Spring Festival, the event drew inspiration from intangible cultural heritage, blending traditional wisdom with modern technology to rejuvenate Chinese culture.
Highlights included the opening visual show "Welcoming Fortune," which featured traditional crafts like iron flower displays and paper cutting, and the architectural showcase "Pillars and Beams," which presented the newly UNESCO-listed Beijing Central Axis with stunning visual effects. The soiree also featured a variety of performances, ranging from the skit "The Boatman's Umbrella," adapted from classic tale "The Legend of the White Snake," to the innovative robot dance "Yange BOT" and the martial arts display "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake," which visualized the poetic imagery of Li Bai's calligraphy.
The gala's charm was amplified globally through events and broadcasts in major cities and landmarks, from New York's Times Square to Dubai's Burj Khalifa, spreading the festive spirit of the Chinese New Year far and wide. Across China, over 1,500 landmark screens in more than 100 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, broadcasted the gala, lighting up the night with vibrant visuals and sounds and offering warm New Year greetings to all.
Across China, over 1,500 landmark screens in more than 100 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, broadcasted the gala. /CMG
NB: Video of ‘The closing performance’ "Unforgettable Tonight" at China Media Group's 2025 Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, China, January 28, 2025. /CMG
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