China suspends La Liga after Mbappé controversy
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
Television broadcasts of La Liga have been suspended in China after controversy over a video of Kylian Mbappé about Mao Zedong, while three sponsors have ended their contracts. China and the United States reportedly account for most of the Spanish league's international commercial revenues, according to a La Liga source cited by AFP.
La Liga, Spain's football championship, has had its matches suspended from television broadcasts in China until further notice, after controversy sparked by a joke by Kylian Mbappé about Mao Zedong, AFP reports. The Spanish league and Real Madrid have issued public apologies, but these have not yet calmed the situation.
The crisis has also led to the loss of three sponsors, according to Swiss media outlet L'essentiel. La Liga's international audiovisual rights reached €748 million in the 2024–2025 season; an internal league source cited by AFP said China and the United States together account for most of that sum. Matches are broadcast by CCTV, China's state television broadcaster.
La Liga announced an agreement on 3 August with Migu, a subsidiary of China Mobile, to broadcast 380 matches per season until 2030. Since 2016, it has adapted its schedules to Asian time zones to expand its audience in the region.
The suspension comes after Mbappé and La Liga apologised on 27 October. It follows the Chinese federation's demands for an apology and the Chinese boycott of Mbappé, reported in the preceding days.
