China’s state-controlled broadcaster CCTV did not air a Real Madrid match on Sunday, marking the continuation of a broadcasting suspension announced earlier in the week. The decision followed controversy sparked by footballer Kylian Mbappé’s comments about a meme involving a reference to Chinese leader Mao Zedong, which he described as humorous.
Mbappé made the remarks during an appearance on French talk show The Bridge. The comments generated significant backlash in China, leading multiple Chinese brands to drop endorsement deals with the player. China Media Group, the parent organization of CCTV, announced last Tuesday that it would suspend broadcasts of La Liga matches. The organization subsequently demanded formal apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, and La Liga as what it termed “an absolute prerequisite” for resolving the matter.
Mbappé issued an apology later that same Tuesday, characterizing his comment as “ill-judged” and acknowledging that it caused offense to people in China and Chinese communities globally. Both Real Madrid and La Liga also offered apologies for the incident. China’s foreign ministry stated it took Mbappé’s apology “seriously.” However, China Media Group has not specified the duration of the broadcast suspension, despite acknowledging receipt of the apologies from all three parties.
This incident reflects a pattern of broadcast suspensions by Chinese authorities in response to perceived political sensitivities related to sports programming. A comparable situation occurred in October 2019, when the National Basketball Association’s broadcasts were pulled for approximately one year following comments by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. Morey subsequently issued a statement expressing regret for any misunderstandings and reaffirming his appreciation for Chinese fans and sponsors.
In Sunday’s match that was not broadcast in China, Real Madrid defeated Racing Santander 3-0, with goals from Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande.
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