Mbappe Mao controversy keeps La Liga off China state TV for another weekend

Beijing, on November 1, China's state television, CCTV, failed to broadcast the inaugural La Liga matches following Real Madrid's star player Kylian Mbappe's controversial joke about the country's former leader, Mao Zedong. It remains unclear if CCTV had initially scheduled the screenings and then canceled them, or if the broadcasts were never slated.

A recent viral video captured Mbappe mentioning Mao as "a dictator," leading the governing body overseeing CCTV to announce the suspension of the top Spanish league's broadcasts. Mbappe, Real Madrid, and La Liga subsequently apologized for his remarks, with China's foreign ministry stating they took the player's apology "seriously."

Nevertheless, CCTV's sports channels still refrained from airing Villarreal's 1-0 loss to Espanyol and Atletico Madrid's victory over Levante. Three additional games are scheduled for transmission overnight in China, including Barcelona, who enjoy significant popularity there. La Liga confirmed that Chinese television had previously aired all games live, though it did not specify which platforms displayed the broadcasts.

Chinese media company, China Media Group, responsible for CCTV, claimed that they suspended the broadcasts on Monday, insisting that apologies from La Liga, Mbappe, and Real Madrid were crucial for further progress. The initial video depicted Mbappe joking that the funniest internet meme about him featured his image overlaid onto that of a "Chinese dictator," most likely alluding to a meme of Mbappe superimposed on an image of Mao.

In response to his comments, Mbappe apologized, La Liga deeply regretted them, and Real Madrid also expressed regret. CCTV's sports website later reported that China Media Group acknowledged the apologies; however, it remains uncertain whether discussions to resolve the issue have commenced. China, being a vast market for European football, also broadcasts matches from the Premier League, as well as the German, French, and Italian top divisions.

Real Madrid, immensely popular in China, is set to face Racing Santander today. Real Madrid's coach, Jose Mourinho, stated that the club had fulfilled its obligation to put the controversy behind them. In China, it is deemed inappropriate to make jokes about Mao, who passed away in 1976. His policies are widely blamed for causing mass starvation and numerous deaths among Chinese citizens.

Major Chinese corporations terminated their sponsorship agreements with Mbappe following his comments. Various international sports leagues and players have faced backlash for making politically sensitive remarks in China, with China severing ties with the NBA in 2019 after Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong protesters.