La Liga boycotted: Chinese state TV suspends broadcasts after Mbappé controversy

Chinese state TV suspended La Liga broadcasts after Mbappé joked about Mao Zedong in a video; two weekend matches went unaired despite Mbappé's apology.

Chinese state television CCTV has suspended live broadcasts of La Liga matches following controversy over comments made by Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé. In a video released earlier in the week, Mbappé joked about memes comparing him to Mao Zedong, China's former leader who remains a sensitive historical figure in the country.

Following the announcement of the suspension on Tuesday, CCTV did not air Villarreal vs Espanyol Barcelona on Friday or Atlético Madrid vs Levante on Saturday. The matches were available on Migu, a streaming platform operated by state-controlled China Mobile, though Migu removed Real Madrid's Sunday fixture against Santander—Mbappé's team—from its schedule. According to La Liga, Chinese television had previously broadcast all La Liga matches live.

Three Chinese companies terminated sponsorship deals with Mbappé after the controversy. La Liga expressed regret over his comments, and Mbappé subsequently apologized, stating he was "sincerely sorry." China said it was taking his apology seriously, though the broadcast suspension remains in effect.