Chinese Fans Turn to Mobile Streaming for World Cup

Chinese fans are embracing mobile streaming for the World Cup, with an estimated 364 million viewers in China expected to follow the tournament on mobile devices, despite China not participating in the event. The enthusiasm for football remains high in the country, with fans relying on live streaming to watch matches on their mobile devices.

China Media Group has partnered with Xiaohongshu to obtain streaming rights for the World Cup, allowing hundreds of millions of users to live stream the games for free via the Xiaohongshu mobile app. Local fans have opted not to crowd bars to watch matches, which occur in the middle of the night or early morning China time, due to the significant time difference.

This shift in viewing habits has led to a pattern where China's share of total global viewing hours is nearly half, with digital social media engagement beginning in 2022. The competition for viewership remains high on platforms like Douyin, which has seen a surge in football-related content, especially during the World Cup.