China’s CCTV skips Real Madrid match after Mbappé’s Mao meme apology
State broadcaster CCTV did not air a Real Madrid game following Kylian Mbappé’s apology for a meme that likened him to Mao Zedong.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV omitted a Real Madrid match on Sunday after the club’s striker Kylian Mbappé apologized for a meme that placed his face on a figure resembling Chinese dictator Mao Zedong.
Mbappé’s remark, made on the French talk show The Bridge, was described by the player as “ill‑judged” and he said he now understands it “hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world.”
China Media Group, the parent of CCTV, announced on Tuesday that it would suspend broadcasts of Spanish football La Liga matches in response to the controversy. The organisation said the apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga were “an absolute prerequisite” for moving past the incident and confirmed it had received them, but it did not specify how long the broadcast blackout would last.
The backlash in China was swift, with several Chinese brands dropping Mbappé and the foreign ministry stating it took his apology “seriously.”
This is not the first time Beijing has halted sports coverage over political issues; CCTV pulled NBA games for a year after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters in October 2019.
While Mao remains a revered figure for the Communist Party, his legacy includes the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, periods that caused massive famine and social upheaval.
Real Madrid and La Liga have also issued apologies, but the duration of the CCTV suspension remains unannounced.
