Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches following the controversy sparked by remarks attributed to Kylian Mbappé, as the fallout from the crisis moves beyond the Real Madrid forward’s sponsorship deals and onto viewers’ screens.
Spanish news agency EFE, citing the Chinese publication The Paper, reported that the decision came into force on Monday evening, encompassing the withdrawal of advertisements and video clips featuring the France captain.
The crisis erupted after the viral spread of a clip linked to the show The Bridge, during which Mbappé discussed a meme placing his face onto the body of a figure he described as a “Chinese dictator,” revealing that it was one of the memes that made him laugh the most and that he shares it with friends.
Although Mbappé did not explicitly name Mao Zedong, his comments were associated with a widely circulated image of the founder of the People’s Republic of China. As public criticism escalated, companies Dongpeng, Mengniu, and Milkground announced the termination of their commercial partnerships with him, while sports platform Dongqiudi replaced his name in the Ballon d’Or rankings with a phrase meaning “non-existent person.”
The measures taken by China echo the NBA crisis of October 2019, when Daryl Morey, then-general manager of the Houston Rockets, posted a message supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, leading to the suspension of commercial partnerships and game broadcasts.
At the time, Rockets star James Harden stated, “We apologize. We love China,” while Morey issued a clarification emphasizing that he did not intend to offend Chinese fans or sponsors and that his personal views did not represent his team or the league.
The NBA expressed regret over the offense caused to its Chinese fan base, before Commissioner Adam Silver reaffirmed the league’s ongoing support for freedom of expression. The relationship with the Chinese market subsequently entered a period of tension that impacted broadcasting, sponsorships, and game-related media activities.
Just two months later, similar friction reached the English Premier League when Chinese television canceled the broadcast of Arsenal’s clash against Manchester City in December 2019, following social media posts by Mesut Özil criticizing the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region and the silence of Muslim nations regarding their plight.
Arsenal moved swiftly to issue a statement on the Weibo platform, clarifying: “The content published represents Özil’s personal opinion,” emphasizing the club’s commitment to remaining non-political. Consequently, the broadcast of their match against Manchester City was replaced on Chinese television by the fixture between Tottenham and Wolverhampton.
