Real Madrid stays off Chinese state TV, but one rival streams live
BEIJING — Kylian Mbappé scored from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat Racing Santander on Sunday, but neither of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s sports channels showed the match. The suspension also affected Real’s rivals. By Sunday evening, CCTV had carried no live fixture from La Liga’s 11th round after Mbappé’s remarks about a meme depicting former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Barcelona fans could still watch online
Viewers in China could still stream some Spanish football. Migu, the streaming service owned by China Mobile, carried Barcelona’s 6–1 victory over Alavés, although the Madrid match did not appear to be available on the platform. For fans following the league, access depended on both the broadcaster and the fixture.
The match CCTV viewers missed was Real Madrid’s sixth successive win in all competitions. Mbappé opened the scoring at El Sardinero, extending his scoring run to five matches, before Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande also found the net.
How an April interview reached the broadcast schedule
The dispute began when an April interview with the French programme The Bridge resurfaced in October. Asked about a meme he found funny, Mbappé described an image in which his face had been superimposed on a figure he called a “Chinese dictator”, an apparent reference to Mao. On 27 October, China Media Group, which oversees CCTV, announced the suspension of La Liga broadcasts.
Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga each apologised. The league said it was working with its partners in China to address the dispute, and China’s foreign ministry acknowledged the player’s apology. By the end of Sunday’s match, CCTV had given viewers no date for the return of live Spanish league football.
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