Following the controversy involving Mbappé, the broadcast of La Liga matches in China was suspended
China's CCTV television channel stopped broadcasting Spanish championship - La Liga matches following the controversy around Kylian Mbappé. This decision was made after the footballer's joke about a meme related to Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
La Liga match broadcasts suspended in China following controversy involving Mbappe
China's state broadcaster CCTV has suspended broadcasts of Spanish football championship (La Liga) matches due to a controversy involving French striker Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid.
The controversy began last week after Kylian Mbappe, answering a journalist's question about which meme of himself he liked best, mentioned a meme in which his face was combined with "some guy; presumably, the dictator of China."
The meme Mbappe referred to was created based on a photo of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. This caused a major uproar in China, resulting in several local companies terminating their contracts with the footballer. China Media Group (CMG), which owns the CCTV channel, announced that broadcasts of La Liga matches in China had been suspended.
Following this, Kylian Mbappe himself, as well as the management of Real Madrid and La Liga, issued apologies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated that the Chinese side "highly appreciates the expressed apology." CMG also stated that it accepted the apology. However, as noted by the BBC, it remains unknown when CCTV will resume broadcasting La Liga matches.