China’s state television network CCTV has fully suspended its broadcast of La Liga, effectively erasing Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé from the airwaves. The halt in transmission began on Monday following Mbappé’s controversial comments regarding a meme depicting Mao Zedong. According to verification by EFE, no La Liga matches were aired on Saturday, including high-profile fixtures such as Barcelona vs. Alavés and Levante vs. Atlético de Madrid, which were completely absent from the official channel lineup.
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The suspension extends to all scheduled matches for the weekend and early next week. Notably, the upcoming Racing de Santander vs. Real Madrid fixture, originally slated for Sunday night local time, has been removed from CCTV’s calendar. Other omitted games include Getafe vs. Sevilla, Elche vs. Valencia, and the Monday night clash between Deportivo de A Coruña and Osasuna. While the streaming platform Migu continues to offer some coverage, the absence of the state broadcaster signals a significant diplomatic and media escalation in the dispute.
This move marks a sharp departure from previous weeks, where La Liga enjoyed consistent visibility on Chinese state media. Currently, only archived matches from prior weeks remain accessible on CCTV’s mobile application, with the most recent available game being Celta de Vigo vs. Real Betis from October 25. The decision underscores the sensitivity of cultural and political references in international sports, potentially impacting Real Madrid’s commercial reach in Asia and highlighting the complex intersection between global football stars and state-controlled media narratives.
Source: MARCA
