Mbappe crisis continues: Chinese TV ignores Real Madrid match broadcast

China’s state television network ignored the broadcast of the Real Madrid match against host Racing Santander in the eleventh round of the Spanish La Liga, after announcing the suspension of La Liga coverage in response to French star Kylian Mbappé’s remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The match between Racing Santander and the Spanish giants was not aired on either of the sports channels owned by the state-run CCTV network, as observed by the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

China’s official television station has not yet broadcast any matches from the eleventh round of the Spanish league, marking the first such omission since the controversy erupted.

Mbappé’s comments prompted several Chinese brands to terminate their partnerships with the French star on Tuesday, despite his apology issued the same day.

According to La Liga, which AFP contacted, Chinese state television had previously broadcast all Spanish league matches live.

What worries Real Madrid most is that the Racing Santander match was also unavailable on the popular Chinese streaming platform Meigu, as noted by AFP.

In contrast, other matches from the eleventh round were accessible on this platform, including the game between Barcelona and Deportivo Alavés.

Three Chinese companies that had used Mbappé’s name and image to promote their products announced last Tuesday the termination of their contracts with the French star.

La Liga, which represents China as a key market for the league, expressed “regret” over Mbappé’s remarks before the player issued an apology, affirming that he “sincerely apologizes.” The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that it is taking his apology “seriously.”