Paris 2024: China will livestream the Olympics on the big screen for the first time, but not everyone is game

SINGAPORE: In a first, China will be bringing the Olympics to the big screen, carving out an added channel for people in the country who want to catch the sporting action at Paris 2024 - although local media reports suggest muted demand so far.

The tieup between the country’s leading film distributor China Film and state broadcaster CCTV will see live broadcasts of the Games being offered in cinemas nationwide.

The opening ceremony will be screened, as well as select sports such as table tennis, badminton, diving and volleyball, it was announced during the launch event on Monday (Jul 22) in Beijing, local media reported. China has typically excelled in these sports.

"This initiative provides a new channel for the public to watch the Paris Olympics, to appreciate the prowess of Chinese athletes on the global stage, experience the spirit of sportsmanship, and foster national pride," China Media Group editorial board member Jiang Wenbo said as reported by CGTN, the international division of CCTV.

This would mark the first time Chinese fans will be able to watch the Olympic Games in theatres, according to local media reports.

Tickets for screenings of the Paris 2024 opening ceremony are now available at cinemas in more than 10 cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, local news site Sixth Tone reported.

The announcement has generated online buzz. Checks by CNA show that more than 22,000 people have added the Games to their “to-watch” list on Chinese ticketing giant Maoyan.

A Weibo post by CCTV announcing the big screen live broadcasts has also garnered 17,000 likes, with many comments cheering on the Chinese athletes.

But online interest isn’t carrying over to actual ticket sales just yet, according to Sixth Tone.