Real Madrid’s match did not air on Chinese television on Sunday after China Media Group suspended broadcasts of Spanish football La Liga matches last Tuesday. Migu also removed the 15:15 Sunday kick-off from its schedule, and the blackout has now moved beyond a single game.
China’s response
CCTV followed through on the suspension, while BBC reporting says China Media Group has not said how long it will last. That leaves the dispute open after Kylian Mbappé apologised for the comment that triggered the backlash, saying: "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world."
China Media Group said the apologies were "an absolute prerequisite" for moving past the incident. Mbappé also said, in comments translated from Portuguese by A Bola, that one of his favourite memes placed his face over that of a "Chinese dictator".
What the blackout now covers
There is disagreement over how broad the response is. A Bola reported that CCTV did not broadcast any LaLiga match this weekend, while BBC reporting said Migu kept almost all matches and removed only Real Madrid’s game.
What is clear is that the dispute has outgrown one apology and one fixture. Real Madrid are third in La Liga after 11 matches with 27 points, and Mbappé has 12 league goals in 11 appearances. The broadcast dispute is still active, and neither outlet gives a date for when Chinese coverage will return.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
