China pulls Real Madrid broadcast over Mbappé’s Mao joke

China’s state broadcaster CCTV refused to air Real Madrid’s La Liga match on Sunday, maintaining a broadcast blackout despite Kylian Mbappé’s apology for his controversial remarks about Mao Zedong, according to BBC News ^[1]. The snub follows a week of diplomatic tension after the French striker described a meme depicting him as the late Chinese leader as the funniest he had seen.

The incident began when Mbappé appeared on the French talk show The Bridge, where he reportedly said the meme superimposing his face onto a "Chinese dictator" resembling Mao made him laugh the most. This comment triggered a fierce backlash across Chinese social media, leading China Media Group, CCTV’s parent organisation, to announce it would suspend broadcasts of all Spanish La Liga matches earlier this week.

Several major Chinese brands subsequently dropped Mbappé as a sponsor. In a statement, the striker admitted his comment was "ill-judged" and acknowledged that it had hurt many people in China and Chinese communities globally. Real Madrid and La Liga have also issued formal apologies, with the foreign ministry stating it took these expressions of regret "seriously".

Mao Zedong, who founded the People’s Republic of China and died in 1976, remains a revered figure within the Communist Party. However, his tenure included the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, periods marked by violent purges and famine that claimed tens of millions of lives. While the broadcaster has acknowledged the apologies, there has been no confirmation on how long the suspension will last.

This move echoes previous instances where Beijing leveraged sports broadcasting for political signalling. In 2019, the NBA’s relationship with China suffered when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters. The league paused broadcasts for a year until Morey walked back his comments, citing a desire to respect Chinese fans and sponsors.

Despite the broadcast ban, Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander in the match itself, with goals scored by Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande. The ongoing standoff highlights the delicate balance global sports stars must navigate between humour and geopolitical sensitivity in one of the world’s largest commercial markets.