Chinese state broadcaster CCTV dropped the fixture against Racing Santander from its sports channels, while digital platform Migu also excluded the game from its schedule. The diplomatic tension led China Media Group to halt Spanish top-flight broadcasts, prompting formal apologies from Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid, and La Liga. Although Chinese authorities acknowledged these statements of regret, official negotiations to permanently restore full match broadcasts remain uncertain.
Key points
Broadcast blackouts were enacted after Kylian Mbappe referred to former Chinese leader Ma…: Broadcast blackouts were enacted after Kylian Mbappe referred to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a dictator.
Real Madrid, La Liga, and Mbappe all issued formal public apologies to satisfy requiremen…: Real Madrid, La Liga, and Mbappe all issued formal public apologies to satisfy requirements set by Chinese broadcast regulators.
Official broadcasts remain in limbo as it is still unconfirmed if formal discussions to r…: Official broadcasts remain in limbo as it is still unconfirmed if formal discussions to resolve the matter have started.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Mbappe, Real and La Liga later all said sorry for his remarks, and China's foreign ministry said it took the player's apology "seriously".
BEIJING: Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not broadcast a Real Madrid La Liga match on Sunday (Nov 1) after star forward Kylian Mbappe caused a furore in China with remarks he made about former leader Mao Zedong.
The match between Real Madrid and Racing Santander began at 315pm GMT (11pm, Singapore time) but was not broadcast on either of CCTV's two sports channels, AFP reporters saw.
None of the other matches from the 11th round of La Liga have been broadcast live on public television so far.
A viral video in recent days showed Mbappe referring to Mao as a "dictator", prompting the body overseeing CCTV to say it would halt broadcasts of the top Spanish league.
Mbappe, Real and La Liga later all said sorry for his remarks, and China's foreign ministry said it took the player's apology "seriously".
Asked by AFP before the weekend, La Liga said that Chinese television had previously shown all games…
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