# China’s CCTV keeps La Liga off air after Mbappé joke backlash

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/china-state-broadcaster-pulls-la-liga-matches-following-mbappe-joke/
- Published: 2026-11-02T03:58:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T06:47:53+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq78pypg0800o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Asia, World

## Key points

- CCTV did not show Real Madrid’s match after the controversy.
- Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga have apologised.
- China Media Group has not set an end date for the blackout.

## Summary

China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not show Real Madrid’s match on Sunday, despite Kylian Mbappé apologising for a joke about a meme depicting his face on Mao Zedong. The blackout follows a backlash in China and raises uncertainty over when broadcasts of Spanish La Liga matches will resume.

CCTV’s parent organisation, China Media Group, announced the suspension last Tuesday and had demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga. It has acknowledged their apologies but has not said how long the blackout will last; China’s foreign ministry said it took Mbappé’s apology seriously. Real Madrid won Sunday’s match against Racing Santander 3-0, with goals from Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande. China previously suspended NBA broadcasts for a year after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted in support of Hong Kong protesters.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.