China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not air Real Madrid’s match on Sunday, despite an apology from the club’s forward Kylian Mbappé over remarks about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Mbappé had faced widespread criticism after describing a meme that superimposed his face on a figure resembling Mao as the one that made him laugh the most. The comment was reportedly made on the French talk show The Bridge.
China Media Group, CCTV’s parent organisation, announced last Tuesday that it would suspend broadcasts of Spanish La Liga matches following the controversy. The dispute also resulted in Mbappé being dropped by several Chinese brands.
Mbappé later apologised, saying his comment had been “ill-judged” and that he understood it had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world. China’s foreign ministry said it took the apology seriously, while Real Madrid and La Liga also apologised.
China Media Group had previously demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga, describing them as an “absolute prerequisite” for moving beyond the incident. The organisation has acknowledged the apologies but has not said when the broadcast suspension will end.
Mao is revered by China’s Communist Party, although his rule included the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Those campaigns were accompanied by a famine that killed tens of millions and violent purges across Chinese society. Mao died in 1976.
The broadcaster’s decision follows earlier cases in which sports coverage was suspended over politically sensitive issues. In October 2019, NBA games were removed from Chinese broadcasts for a year after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted in support of Hong Kong protesters.
Real Madrid won Sunday’s match against Racing Santander 3-0, with goals from Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande.
Sources: BBC News World.