CCTV Skips Real Madrid Game

Real Madrid played a full match at the Estadio El Sardinero on Sunday, but millions of viewers in China watched an empty screen. The Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air the La Liga fixture, despite the club's star striker Kylian Mbappé issuing an apology the previous week.

The suspension follows backlash over Mbappé's comments on the French talk show The Bridge. He identified a specific internet meme as the one that made him laugh the most. The meme superimposed his face onto an image of a Chinese dictator resembling Mao Zedong.

Mao, who led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the civil war and founded the People's Republic of China, died in 1976. During his rule, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution occurred. These events led to a famine that killed tens of millions and unleashed violent purges across Chinese society. The joke landed poorly in a country where Mao remains revered by the Communist Party.

Mbappé apologized on Tuesday, describing his comment as ill-judged. He stated, "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world." The apology came after China Media Group, the parent organization of CCTV, demanded apologies from Real Madrid, La Liga, and the player.

China Media Group called the apologies an absolute prerequisite for moving past the incident. The group acknowledged the statements but has not commented on the duration of the broadcast blackout. The furore also led to Mbappé being dropped by several Chinese brands. China's foreign ministry said it took the apology seriously.

Real Madrid won the Sunday match against Racing Santander with a score of 3-0. Goals were scored by Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande. The team played a complete game even though the primary domestic audience in China missed the broadcast.

This is not the first time Beijing has suspended sports broadcasts over political sensitivities. In October 2019, China pulled NBA games for a year. The decision followed a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong protesters during pro-democracy demonstrations. Morey later backtracked on his comment after criticism from fans and sponsors.