On 11 February 2021 at 20:00, CCTV’s (China Central Television) “2021 Chinese New Year Gala” went on air as scheduled. According to preliminary statistics, as of 24:00 on 11 February, 1.14 billion people watched the show live, covering almost all Chinese families.
The number of people who watched the show online was a staggering 569 million, who were racking up a total of 1.778 billion views – a net increase of 548 million views compared to 2020 (1.23 billion views). 571 million people watched the show on TV, representing no increase to last year.
More than 600 media outlets from over 170 countries and regions including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Australia, India, the UAE, Malaysia, and South Africa also livestreamed the Chinese New Year Gala. Overseas users watched the livestream through YouTube, Facebook, etc., reaching over 18.66 million views.
This year’s Chinese New Year Gala offered a sensory experience for viewers, combining AI+VR 3D studio technology for the first time. Watchers were greeted with panoramic free-view shooting, interactive photography control, and real-time virtual rendering production.
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