CCTV skipped Real Madrid match after Mbappé's remarks about Mao Zedong

Broadcast cancelled after scandal

China's state television giant CCTV did not air the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Racing Santander, which kicked off on Sunday at 15:15 GMT: the game was not shown on either of the channel's two sports channels, as recorded by AFP correspondents. No other match of the 11th round of the Spanish championship had been broadcast live on public television by that point either. The trigger was a viral clip in which forward Kylian Mbappé calls Mao Zedong a 'dictator', after which China Media Group (CMG), which oversees CCTV, announced the suspension of La Liga broadcasts.

Apologies and the state of negotiations

The viral video showed that Mbappé named as the funniest meme about himself an image of his face superimposed on the face of 'some guy — I think he's a Chinese dictator' — an apparent reference to the Mao meme. The player later apologised for the 'unfortunate' remarks, La Liga expressed 'deep' regret, and Real Madrid followed suit. CMG had already announced on Monday that it was suspending the broadcasts and stressed that apologies from the league, the player and the club were an 'absolute precondition' for resolving the scandal. China's Foreign Ministry said it took the player's apology 'seriously'. According to CCTV's sports website, CMG subsequently accepted the apology, but it remains unclear whether negotiations to resolve the situation have begun.

What is known about the broadcasts and the consequences

Before the scandal, Chinese television had been airing all of the league's matches live, La Liga told AFP, without specifying the platforms. AFP correspondents found live streams on Migu, a streaming service of state-owned China Mobile — including Barcelona's 6:1 win over Alavés on Saturday — but Sunday's match involving Real apparently was not streamed on Migu. Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho said on Saturday that the club had 'done its part' to put the scandal behind it. China is a huge market for European football: CCTV also airs English Premier League matches and the top divisions of Germany, France and Italy. After Mbappé's remarks, major Chinese brands terminated their sponsorship contracts with him. AFP recalls that foreign leagues and athletes have faced similar situations before: in 2019, China effectively cut ties with the NBA for several years after a tweet by then Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong protesters.