CCTV maintains Real Madrid broadcast boycott in China
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline and Punch
CCTV did not broadcast Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday, despite Kylian Mbappé’s apology for a joke about Mao Zedong, MyJoyOnline and Punch report. China Media Group, CCTV’s parent organisation, had suspended La Liga broadcasts and has not announced their return. China’s foreign ministry said it took the apology seriously, according to Punch.
Real Madrid’s match against Racing Santander, which they won 3-0 on Sunday, was not broadcast by CCTV despite Kylian Mbappé’s apology for a joke about Mao Zedong, according to MyJoyOnline and Punch. The Frenchman, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande scored, Punch reports.
China Media Group (CMG), CCTV’s parent organisation, had announced the suspension of La Liga broadcasts after the controversy. CMG acknowledged apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga, but did not announce the resumption of broadcasts, MyJoyOnline and Punch report. The group had described the apologies as a prerequisite for resolving the matter, according to Punch.
Mbappé acknowledged that his remark was inappropriate and had hurt people in China and in Chinese communities abroad, according to MyJoyOnline. China’s foreign ministry said it took his apology seriously, Punch reports. Several Chinese brands have also reportedly removed the player from their promotional campaigns, according to the outlet.
In October 2019, Chinese broadcasters suspended NBA coverage for about a year after a message supporting Hong Kong protesters was posted by Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets, Punch recalls.
