Over a Thousand Cinemas to Broadcast Live Sports Events

Recently, the China Film Administration and the General Administration of Sport of China jointly issued the Notice on Launching the "Follow Movies to Sports" Initiative to Promote Two-Way Empowerment Between Film and Sports. In terms of promoting consumption linkages, support is given to cinemas, sports venues, sports event organizers, internet platform enterprises, commercial banks, and payment and settlement institutions to jointly carry out "film + sports" consumption promotion activities, launching preferential measures such as linking movie and event ticket stubs and spending-based discounts; encouraging the creation of distinctive outdoor sports routes such as hiking, cycling, and self-driving tours inspired by movie scenes; supporting co-branded collaborations on film and sports derivative products; and supporting the creation of film and sports markets that integrate sports and film elements in both directions. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,000 cinemas across the country have attempted to introduce live broadcasts of sports events, with content covering football, tennis, basketball, esports, snooker, and more. Among them, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a total of 31 provinces, 266 cities, and more than 1,400 cinemas nationwide broadcast over 60 matches, with cumulative screenings exceeding 28,000, activating even the non-prime late-night time slots.