Bigger than the Super Bowl — futuristic humanoid robots dominate China’s most-watched TV show and leap ahead of the Tesla Optimus

China’s Spring Festival Gala 2026: Humanoid Robots Steal the Show and Leave Tesla in the Dust

In a jaw-dropping display of technological prowess, China’s Spring Festival Gala once again proved why it’s the most-watched TV show on the planet. This year’s event, which garnered a staggering 23 billion views across all platforms, featured a star-studded cast of humanoid robots that left audiences worldwide in awe.

The Spring Festival Gala, an annual spectacle aired on the eve of the Lunar New Year, has always been known for its extravagant performances and cutting-edge technology. However, this year’s show took things to a whole new level with the introduction of kung fu-performing robots that showcased China’s rapidly advancing robotics industry.

At the heart of this robotic revolution is Unitree Robotics, China’s leading robot manufacturer. The company’s G1 robot was the undisputed star of the show, performing acrobatic feats and martial arts moves that left many viewers questioning whether they were watching real robots or computer-generated imagery.

The G1’s impressive display wasn’t just for show, though. Following the broadcast, Unitree reported a surge in interest for their humanoid robots, with many models now facing significant order backlogs. The G1, priced at around $12,300, has seen its earliest delivery dates pushed back to early March, while its product page struggles to handle the influx of traffic.

But the G1 isn’t the only robot making waves in China’s burgeoning robotics market. The Noetix Bumi, a child-sized robot that appeared in a comedy sketch during the gala, has also seen a spike in interest. Priced at a more accessible $1,450, similar to a high-end smartphone, the Bumi’s delivery date has now been pushed back to late April.

These developments are part of a broader trend in China’s robotics industry, which has been identified as a major growth engine in the country’s latest five-year plan. Unitree aims to ship 20,000 humanoids this year, a fourfold increase from 2025, signaling the industry’s rapid expansion.

While consumers are still largely spectators in this robotic revolution, the potential applications for these advanced machines are vast. From industrial use to border control assistance, as seen with Unitree’s rival UBTech, the possibilities seem endless.

However, the true game-changer for humanoid robots may not be their impressive physical capabilities, but rather their cognitive abilities. Unitree’s CEO, Wang Xingxing, has spoken about the potential of ’embodied intelligence’ – a robot’s ability to learn through physical interaction with its environment, rather than relying solely on pre-programmed instructions.

Wang believes that breakthroughs in embodied AI models and robotics technology could lead to an explosion in the industry’s growth, potentially surpassing even the mobile internet era. “If there are breakthroughs in embodied AI models and robotics technology that can truly be applied at scale in the coming years, the heat could be 100 or even 1,000 times higher than it is now,” Wang told China’s CCTV state broadcaster.

This bold prediction puts pressure on global competitors, particularly Tesla and its Optimus humanoid robot. Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla plans to begin selling the Optimus robot “probably sometime next year.” By that point, they may find themselves playing catch-up in a market that China is rapidly dominating.

As we look to the future, it’s clear that the world of robotics is on the cusp of a major breakthrough. The Spring Festival Gala 2026 may well be remembered as the moment when humanoid robots stepped out of the realm of science fiction and into our everyday lives. Whether they’ll become our helpers, our entertainers, or something else entirely remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the age of the robot is upon us, and China is leading the charge.

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