The Mbappe China controversy has triggered major broadcasting consequences after Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV suspended live coverage of La Liga matches following the Real Madrid forward’s remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The debate had started after an online video emerged, which had Kylian Mbappe’s face merged with that of Mao on a poster, and he was seen laughing in the video as he spoke about the meme. In the interview, the French international described the historical leader in a critical manner, which led to a lot of Chinese reactions on social networks.
The response quickly spilled over from the internet, causing diplomatic and commercial difficulties for the Spanish football competition and its top teams. On Thursday, the parent company of CCTV announced that it would halt broadcasting of La Liga football matches after the incident, on October 27. That decision was upheld, despite Mbappe apologizing for “ill-judged” comments he made. Then the broadcaster refused to broadcast Real Madrid’s match on Sunday. The fallout also had repercussions on Mbappe’s commercial ties in China, with some Chinese brands reportedly having ditched the French superstar after the controversy.
The incident was also the subject of international attention as Real Madrid and La Liga also issued apologies. The Foreign Ministry of China accepted Mbappe’s apology, calling it “seriously considered. The incident underscores the significant role of business relationships and global media outlets in contemporary football.
The competition has a strong international following, and that allows clubs to have access to great markets like China commercially. The scandal has caused one of Real Madrid’s most iconic players to face an off-field problem for the club. The suspension is still a major development for the sport of broadcasting, as it enforces the repercussions of Mbappe’s words off the pitch.
