CCTV skips Real Madrid win after Mbappé remarks on Mao

Real Madrid fans in China watched their team win a 3-0 match against Racing Santander on Sunday without seeing the game on state television. The club scored through Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande, but CCTV did not air the fixture. This marks the third consecutive week that the broadcaster has withheld Spanish football from its schedule. The decision came despite an apology from Mbappé regarding comments he made earlier in the week.

The broadcast pause stems from a remark Mbappé made on the French talk show The Bridge. When asked which meme made him laugh the most, the striker identified one featuring his face superimposed on a portrait of Mao Zedong. He described the figure as a "Chinese dictator." The comment triggered immediate backlash across social media in China, where Mao is revered by the Communist Party despite his role in historical events that killed tens of millions.

China Media Group, the parent organization of CCTV, announced the suspension of La Liga matches on Tuesday. The group stated that it had acknowledged the apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, and La Liga. However, the broadcaster has not specified how long the blackout will last. Earlier in the week, the group demanded apologies from all three parties, labeling them an absolute prerequisite for moving past the incident. China's foreign ministry said it took the apology seriously.

Mbappé addressed the situation on Tuesday, stating that his comment was ill-judged. He said he now understands that the remark hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. The incident also led to the striker being dropped by several Chinese brands. Real Madrid and La Liga issued separate apologies to smooth over the diplomatic friction caused by the player's words.

Beijing has previously used sports broadcasts as a tool for political signaling. In October 2019, Chinese networks pulled NBA games for a year following a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. Morey had tweeted in support of Hong Kong protesters during widespread pro-democracy demonstrations. He later backtracked on the comment, citing the support of Chinese fans and sponsors. The current suspension mirrors that precedent, linking commercial entertainment to domestic political sentiment.

The match against Racing Santander served as the first major test of the new broadcast policy. Although the game occurred after Mbappé's apology, CCTV chose not to show it. This decision highlights the cautious approach Chinese media is taking while assessing public reaction. The lack of a defined end date for the suspension leaves clubs and players uncertain about future visibility in the Chinese market.