CCTV suspends Real Madrid broadcast after Mbappé's Mao meme apology

China's state broadcaster CCTV did not air a Real Madrid match on Sunday after the club's striker Kylian Mbappé apologized for a meme that showed his face superimposed on a figure resembling Mao Zedong. The incident prompted China Media Group, CCTV's parent organization, to suspend the broadcast of La Liga matches, though it has not specified how long the blackout will last.

Mbappé said his comment was "ill-judged" and that he now understands it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. The Chinese foreign ministry said it took his apology seriously, and both Real Madrid and La Liga issued apologies as well.

China Media Group had previously demanded apologies from the three parties involved, describing them as a prerequisite for moving past the controversy. The meme sparked criticism in China, where Mao remains a revered figure by the Communist Party despite the historical controversies surrounding his rule.

The suspension follows a previous instance in which Beijing halted NBA broadcasts for a year after a Houston Rockets executive expressed support for Hong Kong protesters.