China-Spring Festival Gala/Chief Director
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of opening performance of 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala at main venue in Beijing
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Lei, chief director, 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala (starting with shot 1):
"Innovation in audience interaction must keep pace with the times to listen to their voices. Because audience opinions have always been a crucial 'source of energy' for us over the past 40 years. From the days of writing letters to today's internet age, we've continually evolved, I believe, into a new '3.0' era. Instead of just relying on comments or bullet comments which are coming in so vast amounts that it is impossible to process them manually, this year, we've taken a big step forward in improving the way we listen to our viewers with sci-tech advancement."
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of opening performance of 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala in progress
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Lei, chief director, 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala (partially overlaid with shots 5-6):
"We have assembled dedicated big data analysts who use completely rational, data-driven methods to collect information from online platforms. By analyzing the preferences and evaluations of hundreds of millions of users, we tried to identify the types of content that resonate most with different audience groups. Our goal is to meet the emotional needs of viewers as they welcome the Chinese New Year to heal, to inspire, and to energize themselves. This approach, underpinned by rational methods, advanced technology and the spirit of the digital age, offers us valuable feedback and validation, which is very helpful."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of opening performance of 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala in progress
6. Various of dance performance in progress
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Performance in progress
Yu Lei, chief director of the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, emphasized that as the audience voices are "energy boosters" for creation, her team has taken innovative big data analytical approach to better resonate with global viewers.
In an interview, Yu said that for decades, the tradition of engaging directly with audiences has been a hallmark of the Gala.
"Innovation in audience interaction must keep pace with the times to listen to their voices. Because audience opinions have always been a crucial 'source of energy' for us over the past 40 years. From the days of writing letters to today's internet age, we've continually evolved, I believe, into a new '3.0' era. Instead of just relying on comments or bullet comments which are coming in so vast amounts that it is impossible to process them manually, this year, we've taken a big step forward in improving the way we listen to our viewers with sci-tech advancement," she said.
Yu further explained how the data analysis approach helped with the production team to better understand and meet viewers' emotional needs.
"We have assembled dedicated big data analysts who use completely rational, data-driven methods to collect information from online platforms. By analyzing the preferences and evaluations of hundreds of millions of users, we tried to identify the types of content that resonate most with different audience groups. Our goal is to meet the emotional needs of viewers as they welcome the Chinese New Year to heal, to inspire, and to energize themselves. This approach, underpinned by rational methods, advanced technology and the spirit of the digital age, offers us valuable feedback and validation, which is very helpful," said the chief director.
The gala delivered a more than four-hour-long feast of captivating cultural performances and entertaining variety shows to audiences in celebration of the arrival of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday.
The Spring Festival Gala, or "Chunwan", is an annual TV extravaganza staged and broadcast by CMG on the eve of the Chinese New Year, and is seen as essential part of the Spring Festival celebrations.
Since its debut in 1983, the hours-long gala has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
China-Spring Festival Gala/Chief Director
Dateline : Feb 16, 2026/Recent
Location : China
Duration : 1'39
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of opening performance of 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala at main venue in Beijing
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Lei, chief director, 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala (starting with shot 1):
"Innovation in audience interaction must keep pace with the times to listen to their voices. Because audience opinions have always been a crucial 'source of energy' for us over the past 40 years. From the days of writing letters to today's internet age, we've continually evolved, I believe, into a new '3.0' era. Instead of just relying on comments or bullet comments which are coming in so vast amounts that it is impossible to process them manually, this year, we've taken a big step forward in improving the way we listen to our viewers with sci-tech advancement."
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of opening performance of 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala in progress
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Lei, chief director, 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala (partially overlaid with shots 5-6):
"We have assembled dedicated big data analysts who use completely rational, data-driven methods to collect information from online platforms. By analyzing the preferences and evaluations of hundreds of millions of users, we tried to identify the types of content that resonate most with different audience groups. Our goal is to meet the emotional needs of viewers as they welcome the Chinese New Year to heal, to inspire, and to energize themselves. This approach, underpinned by rational methods, advanced technology and the spirit of the digital age, offers us valuable feedback and validation, which is very helpful."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of opening performance of 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala in progress
6. Various of dance performance in progress
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Performance in progress
Yu Lei, chief director of the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, emphasized that as the audience voices are "energy boosters" for creation, her team has taken innovative big data analytical approach to better resonate with global viewers.
In an interview, Yu said that for decades, the tradition of engaging directly with audiences has been a hallmark of the Gala.
"Innovation in audience interaction must keep pace with the times to listen to their voices. Because audience opinions have always been a crucial 'source of energy' for us over the past 40 years. From the days of writing letters to today's internet age, we've continually evolved, I believe, into a new '3.0' era. Instead of just relying on comments or bullet comments which are coming in so vast amounts that it is impossible to process them manually, this year, we've taken a big step forward in improving the way we listen to our viewers with sci-tech advancement," she said.
Yu further explained how the data analysis approach helped with the production team to better understand and meet viewers' emotional needs.
"We have assembled dedicated big data analysts who use completely rational, data-driven methods to collect information from online platforms. By analyzing the preferences and evaluations of hundreds of millions of users, we tried to identify the types of content that resonate most with different audience groups. Our goal is to meet the emotional needs of viewers as they welcome the Chinese New Year to heal, to inspire, and to energize themselves. This approach, underpinned by rational methods, advanced technology and the spirit of the digital age, offers us valuable feedback and validation, which is very helpful," said the chief director.
The gala delivered a more than four-hour-long feast of captivating cultural performances and entertaining variety shows to audiences in celebration of the arrival of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday.
The Spring Festival Gala, or "Chunwan", is an annual TV extravaganza staged and broadcast by CMG on the eve of the Chinese New Year, and is seen as essential part of the Spring Festival celebrations.
Since its debut in 1983, the hours-long gala has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
ID : 8466487
Published : 2026-02-18 12:43
Last Modified : 2026-02-18 19:44:50
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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