CCTV blackouts Real Madrid game after Mbappé apology
China's state broadcaster skipped Sunday's match despite Kylian Mbappé's concession that his remark about Mao Zedong was ill-judged.
By Joao Menon ·
Chinese viewers lost access to Real Madrid’s Sunday league fixture as the country's state broadcaster, CCTV, decided not to air the game. The blackout occurred despite Kylian Mbappé's apology for comments he made regarding a popular internet meme. The club won the match 3-0 against Racing Santander, with goals from Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande.
The broadcast halt follows a week of intense diplomatic and commercial friction. China Media Group, the parent organization of CCTV, announced on Tuesday that it would suspend coverage of La Liga matches. The decision came after Mbappé described a meme featuring his face on the likeness of Chinese leader Mao Zedong as the one that made him laugh the most. The group stated that apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, and La Liga were an absolute prerequisite for resolving the incident.
Mbappé addressed the backlash in a statement on Tuesday. He acknowledged that his comment was ill-judged and that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities worldwide. The player reportedly made the initial remark while appearing on the French talk show The Bridge. Real Madrid and La Liga also issued apologies following the demand from Chinese officials.
Chinese authorities treated the incident with formal gravity. The foreign ministry stated that it took Mbappé's apology seriously. While China Media Group has accepted the apologies from the three parties, the organization has not specified how long the broadcast suspension will remain in effect. The uncertainty leaves millions of Chinese fans without live Spanish football coverage until further notice.
The dispute highlights the political weight of Mao in China, where the Communist Party reveres the leader despite his oversight of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. These periods resulted in a famine that killed tens of millions and violent purges across society. Mao died in 1976 after leading the Communist Party to victory in the civil war and founding the People's Republic.
Beijing has previously used sports broadcasting as a tool for political signaling. In October 2019, Chinese networks pulled NBA games for a year after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong protesters. Morey later walked back his comments, writing that he had the opportunity to consider other perspectives and that offending Chinese fans was not his intention. He noted the appreciation he had always received from Chinese sponsors and fans.
Commercial consequences have already followed the diplomatic one. Mbappé was dropped by several Chinese brands following the furore over the meme. The combination of corporate action and state media silence signals a coordinated response to what began as a casual remark on a television show.
Source: Casualty
