A record 1.17 billion viewers struggled through the 2019 Gala

While this year’s Spring Festival Gala may have totally sucked, it still managed to draw in a record number of viewers, proving that no matter how much people may complain about the annual show, they’ll still watch.

According to the China Media Group, there were a whopping 1.17 billion masochists who tuned in for the gala on Monday night, watching on TV, through apps, and online. That’s about 42 million more viewers than last year.

Though it may be the world’s most watched annual program, the general truism is that the CCTV Spring Festival Gala gets worse and worse each year with performances somehow becoming even more campy and comedic skits more predictable.

That axiom certainly held true again this year, though the night did have its moments. Like this incredible synchronized performance from Shaolin students:

And Liu Qian’s latest magic act where he brandished a “magic pot” capable of conjuring up any kind of beverage, leaving the audience mystified… oh wait.

Despite its objectiveness awfulness, the gala’s online approval rating was reportedly nearly 97 percent. We have no clue how they came up that number.

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