China’s CCTV keeps La Liga off air after Mbappé joke backlash
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.
In short
- 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.
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The case for
CCTV can reasonably argue that a prominent foreign player’s joke involving Mao Zedong offended many viewers and that pausing coverage signals respect for public sentiment and national history. A state broadcaster may also see continued transmission as inappropriate while the parties’ apologies are being considered, and retain discretion over its programming.
The case against
Critics can argue that keeping an entire league off air after apologies have been acknowledged is a disproportionate response to an individual joke, affecting clubs, players and fans with no responsibility for it. An open-ended blackout may also make cultural and sporting coverage seem subject to political pressure, leaving viewers uncertain about when broadcasts will resume.
Explained simply
CCTV is China’s state broadcaster, and China Media Group is its parent organisation. La Liga is Spain’s top football league, where Real Madrid play; French forward Kylian Mbappé is one of the club’s best-known players.
The dispute centres on a joke by Mbappé about an internet meme showing his face on an image of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader. China Media Group called for apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga, and the episode has drawn attention to how cultural sensitivities can affect international sport.
The suspension leaves clubs and viewers uncertain about when La Liga matches will return to Chinese television. A previous dispute involving a Houston Rockets executive’s support for Hong Kong protesters led China to suspend NBA broadcasts for a year, showing that such rows can have lasting effects on sports coverage.
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Originally published by BBC World as “China state broadcaster pulls La Liga matches following Mbappé joke”.