Photo: screenshot

With livestreaming 2026 FIFA World Cup matches on China's domestically developed CINITY LED screen, a cinema in Beijing's Chaoyang district is one of a number of movie theaters across the country creatively engaging football fans in the ongoing sports gala.  

Since the beginning of the World Cup, over 1,200 Chinese mainland cinemas have provided technical support and operational services for livestreaming the matches. The services covers over 150 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and more. Viewers can make reservations through online mini programs or movie ticketing apps.

Taking Beijing as an example, cinemas participating in the World Cup live broadcast span multiple districts including Chaoyang, Fengtai and more. Guo Nan, a staff member of a ­Chaoyang district cinema, told the Global Times that the first event they streamed was the World Cup opening ceremony held in Mexico, one of the three host countries.

"There were about 100 people in the cinema watching the opening ceremony," Guo said. "They were either fans who booked tickets online or learned about the screening through offline football fan groups." She also added that in order to watch the World Cup on the big screen, fans had to "band together."  

Adapting the same "band together" policy, Ma Fang, the manager of another cinema in Beijing, told the Global Times that due to the "extreme late or early match times and relatively less famous teams," the cinema is willing to accommodate a variety of group sizes. In fact, just two people is enough to arrange a screening. 

"Compared to the early stage of the tournament that we are in now, the number of people coming to the cinema will likely peak during the semifinals and finals," Ma noted.

Besides Beijing, at a local Shanghai cinema, 4K giant-screen visuals and surround sound immerses fans in the global football gala. "There are so many fellow fans watching together, it feels like watching the match in a stadium," said Zhu Guanghu, an audience member who is also a former head coach of the Chinese national team. 

Other cities like Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province are also bringing the World Cup to big screens. 

Chen Zilang, a manager of a cinema in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, told the Global Times that beyond just screening the matches, the cinema also prepares World Cup-related "display boards, prize-winning quiz activities, and small gifts" to help "turn watching the World Cup into a good memory."

Meanwhile, an in-mall cinema in Chengdu has also made thorough preparations. "First, we coordinated with the shopping mall to promote the event, ensuring that basic facilities such as air conditioning, elevators, and corridors operate normally, and arranging staff to be on duty at all times," Xiao Tao, a staff member of the cinema said. 

"We also set the group booking minimum threshold at just 20 people per screening to meet the viewing needs of as many fans as possible," added Xiao.

The fact that cinemas across different provinces and cities are all broadcasting World Cup matches is actually part of a bigger initiative called the "2026 FIFA World Cup in-cinema live broadcasting event." While not the first time that FIFA World Cup matches have been broadcast live in domestic cinemas, the event shows the increasing integration between major sporting events and big-screen viewing. 

"For cinemas, live broadcasting of sports events is not just about improving asset utilization, it is also an exploration of a 'pan-entertainment' development model," Guo explained. 

"In the future, cinemas will no longer be just about screening movies. They need to be able to participate in cultural activities as well."