WNAM REPORT: China Media Group’s (CMG) 2025 Spring Festival Gala has set a new global benchmark, amassing an unprecedented 16.8 billion views across television, digital platforms, and social media—an 18.31% increase from last year.
The event continues to be the world’s most-watched television program, reinforcing its role as a cultural bridge between China and the world.
The Gala achieved historic engagement figures, with 2.8 billion real-time views on domestic platforms and 16.6 billion social media reads, reflecting a 13.75% increase in audience interactions. Mobile viewership surged to 372 million, a 52.46% rise from 2024. The vertical screen livestream format saw 530 million views and 300 million unique users, further expanding accessibility.
Unprecedented Global Reach
This year’s Gala set new overseas records, with CGTN’s multi-language channels and 2,900+ media outlets broadcasting the event live. Global engagement soared, with 1.59 billion reads and 520 million video views worldwide. CMG’s social media platforms reached an all-time high of 73.37 million live views, a 21.39% increase from last year.
For the 10th consecutive year, Japan’s Niconico video-sharing platform aired the Gala, attracting over 101,000 simultaneous viewers.
The event was also showcased on 3,508 public screens across 136 cities in 87 countries, including New York’s Times Square and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, spreading Chinese New Year festivities worldwide.
Blending Tradition with Innovation
Marking the first Gala since UNESCO listed the Spring Festival as intangible cultural heritage, the 2025 edition paid homage to traditional Chinese arts while embracing cutting-edge technology.
Standout performances included:
“Welcoming Fortune” – A visually stunning opening show featuring iron flower displays and paper cutting.
“Pillars and Beams” – A breathtaking aerial journey over Beijing’s UNESCO-listed Central Axis.
“The Boatman’s Umbrella” – A theatrical adaptation of The Legend of the White Snake.
“Yange BOT” – An AI-powered robot dance pushing the boundaries of performance technology.
“The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake” – A martial arts display inspired by Li Bai’s poetic calligraphy.
Beyond its cultural impact, the Gala prioritized inclusivity, introducing live audio descriptions for visually impaired audiences and customized features for the hearing-impaired, benefiting over 58.97 million viewers.
With its record-breaking reach, groundbreaking performances, and seamless integration of tradition and technology, the 2025 Spring Festival Gala reaffirmed its status as a global cultural phenomenon.
