But online interest isn’t carrying over to actual ticket sales just yet, according to Sixth Tone. For instance, only two of the 20 cinemas in Shanghai had received enough bookings to go ahead with the screenings as of Wednesday.
Cinemas in China occasionally cancel screenings unless a certain number of tickets are sold, with the threshold ranging from 10 to 100 depending on the size of the theatre, Sixth Tone reported.
Similarly in Tianjin, only four cinemas plan to show the opening ceremony, and so far they have only sold six tickets for the screenings between them.
Chinese news site China Daily has an ongoing poll on Weibo gauging interest in screening the Games in cinemas, asking their readers if they would head to the cinema to watch the events. About 70 per cent out of 1,357 respondents so far said they wouldn’t go to the cinema to watch a live screening.
The time difference could be a factor for the lacklustre sales. The Paris 2024 opening ceremony is scheduled to begin on Friday at 7.30pm Central European Time, placing it at 1.30am in China the next day.
Some comments underneath China Daily’s post also stated that they would prefer to watch the sporting action from the comfort of home.
Safety concerns have also been brought up. “I would rather watch at home. I’m scared that it’s going to be ‘livelier’ in the cinema, what if everyone started fighting each other?” read a highly-upvoted comment.
Some cinemas have reportedly moved to assure people that screenings will not be filled with rowdy and drunken fans.
“Some people like to drink beer and eat barbecue while watching sports, and they also like to discuss it loudly, but this behavior is not encouraged in cinemas,” Ms Shen Yan, a manager of a cinema in Guangzhou, told local media as reported by Sixth Tone.
“Viewing it on the big screen is much better than watching it at home, and you can also enjoy the lively atmosphere with everyone,” she added.
The Paris Olympics open on Jul 26 and run till Aug 11.
