China’s CCTV omits La Liga matches amid Mbappé Mao controversy

China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not air the first two La Liga matches of the weekend amid controversy surrounding remarks by Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé that referred to Mao Zedong.

CCTV omitted Friday’s meeting between Villarreal and Espanyol from its schedule. The match was still available on Migu, a streaming service linked to state-owned telecommunications company China Mobile.

CCTV also did not broadcast Atlético Madrid’s Saturday match against Levante. A Real Madrid fixture scheduled for Sunday was later removed from Migu, according to the reported information.

Remarks involving Mao

The broadcast changes followed a controversy over a video in which Mbappé referred to memes comparing him with a Chinese dictator. The reference was to Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader.

La Liga criticised Mbappé’s remarks, after which the footballer apologised. China’s Foreign Ministry said it took the apology “seriously”.

The available information places the broadcast omissions in the context of the controversy, but does not independently establish that Mbappé’s comments directly caused the decisions by CCTV or Migu.

Previous broadcasts in China

La Liga told AFP that its matches had previously been broadcast live in China. The latest omissions therefore affected the availability of selected fixtures across both television and streaming platforms.

It remains uncertain whether Mbappé’s apology will help him recover brand deals or other business opportunities that he reportedly lost. The identities of those brands or businesses were not specified.